A Second Chance
by Evedawalrus
Summary: I should be dead. Instead I'm somehow in the middle of an alien invasion of New York. How I got here from a mountain seven thousand miles away? Well, turns out the universe wanted to give me a second chance. Thanks a lot, Universe.
1. Chapter 1

I am Kara. And this is my story.

080808080808080808080

I was born as a fragile baby. Weak and frail, like naught but a tiny, wrinkled leaf. My parents never knew what exactly I had, caught up in the heat of the moment. They told me years later that everything they felt in that moment was fear. They couldn't lose this, they couldn't lose me. Not after everything they had gone through. They were desperate, but as my tiny, silent body did not move, they saw no chance to save me. The Doctor stood there, deep in thought. He had looked reluctant, but seeing the tears in my Mothers' eyes, he made his choice. He consoled them, told them that there was hope.

Science saved me. I was a rhetorical guinea pig, the first human test subject. The experimental was new. It was dangerous. But there was a chance that it could save me. My parents took that chance. Readying a slim, thin needle, he slipped the dose into my failing bloodstream. You already know what happens, so I'll spare you the drama. By the smallest of miracles, I survived. I kept breathing, living, and walking. Just, well, a bit differently.

The chemical didn't seem to have any side effects at first, but as I grew older, something became evident.

Any one thing I focused on, I would become exceptional at. Math, Science, History, and so on. If I became curious about them, my brain would change and adapt, making it easier for me to understand it. My Mothers noticed something was off when I had started pointing out pictures to the dog, babbling as if reading to her at the age of three.

But it wasn't just academics. I loved sports, and started playing soccer at a young age. But over weeks, my muscles and body build would change, becoming strong and lean. In all, I was a scientific marvel. I didn't learn about this until I was ten, when I was already reading at a high school level. My parents told me to not tell anyone, out of fear that people would think differently, and therefore, badly of me. They wanted the to have friends that wouldn't judge me, a school that wouldn't see me as some freak. They just wanted me to have a normal life. As if.

I had two Mothers, both a bit overprotective. I used to joke that that was how they fell in love, they were so protective of each other. I loved 'em, along with my three sisters and two brothers, each of them looking out for me all the time. They were the best, and I was the youngest sibling. But the one thing that annoyed me about them all?

My family were complete and total geeks. Nerds, fangirls and fanboys, the whole plate. Not in the bad sense of course, but then again, was geek really even an insult anymore? Anyway, they were geeks about everything a geek could be about. Anime, Doctor Who, My Little Pony, Gravity Falls, everything! But the thing they loved most was Marvel. Spider-Man, Captain America, X-Men, they loved it all. So naturally, they freaked out when The Avengers came out in theaters. It was everything they had ever dreamed of.

I never went to see it. I just didtn't like it, I guess. I was never interested in it. They were just actors and CGI, costumes and scripts. Nothing special, totally fabricated. But of course, my family loved it. They kept talking on and on about how Robert Downey Jr. was the best Tony Stark, and how Tom Hiddleston was so dreamy, blah blah blah. On and on and on. Sometimes the Avengers would somehow spring up in the middle of a completely different conversation, leaving me lost and confused. They hammered it into my head enough that some information actually stuck, so I knew a few things about it. But still I refused to see it, much to their disappointment. Even with their hobby, or as I would say it, obsession, I loved my family.

I was a fit and active girl, always outside, usually with my soccer ball. But in the few years following my thirteenth birthday, I sorta grew bored with life. Whether it was my own desires or just stupid teenage rebellion parenting magazines seem obsessed with, I wanted something more. Yeah, sounds like a half-rate Disney princess, right? Of course. But be honest, doesn't everyone have a day where they wish for something more than the daily routine of work, school and sleep? There were just so many huge, exciting possibilities the world had to offer. I didn't want to read about adventures in my family's comic books, I wanted to live them.

Then, a once in a lifetime chance appeared when I was 15. A trip up a Mount Kilimanjaro, one of the highest mountains on land in the world. I jumped at the chance, of course, and with money saved up, soon I was flying off on MY adventure.

We started climbing the mountain, and let me tell you, it was excruciating. It was blazing during the day, practically setting my eyebrows on fire. Then, it dropped far down into the negatives at night, freezing the charred remains of them. My whole body was wrapped up, for if I carelessly left a finger out in the howling wind, it would freeze up and possibly snap off. The food was nothing near gourmet, but I managed to swallow. And whatever you do, do not look down. Unlike the cliche of doing the exact opposite, I followed the words of advice wisely. But even with the tough hiking and horrible heat and coldness, I was on top of the world. Pun intended. I was having the time of my life, the daily struggle always topped off with utter glee, seeing how far I had come. And it would all be worth it when we got to the top. Our guide said the weather was looking good as we were nearing the peak. But of course, as you should never say things like "oh I know that we'll be perfect-diddly fine, there's no way the weather will be bad!", it wasn't true. A huge blizzard descended on us, filling my sight with nothing but whipping, wild snow. And of course, with my luck, I was blown away by the howling winds. I tried to find, to hold on to something, to anything, but all I could see, hear, or touch was snow. And so, with arms lashing out in complete panic and desperation, I was blown away like a simple flake of snow, like the millions swirling around me.

Straight off a cliff.

I remembered falling.

I could hear the screams of the people calling my name. I was wrapped up so warmly, but my skin still felt like ice.

Then, everything was so silent. I had a good life. A short one, but still good.

The wind blowing past me sounded eerily like music, trying to make my horrible demise a peaceful one. I guess it succeeded.

I knew I was going to die. And in a way, I sorta accepted that.

It almost felt like flying.

I didn't realize that I had hit the ground at first.

Death was not what I expected.

There was a muffled crack, and I was dead. I knew I was, as there was no pain. If I was still alive, I'd be screaming in hurt, suffering every second.

Then everything went black. I just sat there in a void. I didn't have a body anymore, sort of. Like I couldn't look down and see my hands, but at the same time, I could feel them. Being dead was weird, I concluded.

I was in the void for a while. For minutes, for years, I don't know. But I was getting bored. Then, a gust of wind blew by me , coming from nowhere. I thought I might have imagined it, but I think I heard a voice. A soft, sharp whisper, so hard to hear.

"They need you."

Then the universe decided to give me a second chance.

Thanks a lot, universe.

808080808080808080808

Looking back on it, I thought something or someone took me out of my world, out of my dimension... and put me in another, much like my own.

But with one big difference.

Of course, I didn't know this at the time. I was in a world of darkness one minute, then there was a stretching sensation in my gut, like someone was trying to pull me through a hole that I could never fit into.

Then, somehow, I went through, and there was a popping sound. Then my eyes were flooded with light.

080808080808080808080808080

I am Kara. And this is my story.


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm re-uploading this chapter due to my unknowingly describing Nick Fury as "The black man". I never meant to sound racist, and I'll be correcting any other mistakes as such that I find. Thanks, Jess, for letting me know.**

0808080808080808080

Light forced it's way into my corneas, sending a shock of pain through my body. I immediately closed them again, relaxing in the darkness. Was I in heaven? I didn't have time to consider this, as I suddenly felt wind in my face. Opening my eyes a crack, I saw a metal wall. In a millisecond, I realized it wasn't a wall. It was the floor!

I was falling towards the metal floor, my mind reeling, trying to make sense of it all. But before I could do anything, I impacted with the solid metal ground. Half unconscious and hissing in pain, I tried to struggle to my feet, but I needed support to get up. In my peripheral vision, I saw a grey structure next to me, and put out my hand to rest on it.

Right before I put my hand to the metal surface, I heard a shout. "DON'T MOVE!". But it registered too late, as my hand pressed down on the surface. But it wasn't cold metal, as I expected to feel, but...warm. It didn't feel like unliving steel, it felt...alive. As these thoughts appeared in my brain in just a few seconds, something new forced my way through the cracks in my mind.

Then, I only felt unbearable pain.

Every nerve in my body screamed, like I was being ripped apart cell by cell. I couldn't even say that, as it was unimaginable. I had felt horrible pain before, from all my exploits. Broken arms, broken legs, fractured skull, internal bleeding. With all the injuries I went through, I should have died a thousand times over, but yet, I didn't. The worst pain I had ever felt was when I broke almost every bone in my body, along with teeth ripped out, fingers twisted, and stomach puncture. My parents said I was screaming, pleasing for the emergency services to kill me and end the pain. It was a harrowing experience, one that I would not like to remember.

It was worse than that. I was trying to scream, but my voice had disappeared. My blood was boiling, my skin was burning, I tried to cry but my eyes were so dry. I just wanted to die again.

My head snapped to the side, as I saw what my hand was touching. A blue cube, with millions of tiny tendrils of light coursing through it. I saw the tendrils enter my hand, then snake up through my arm. As it did, the pain grew worse and worse.

Then, it reached my heart.

I screamed. My voice returned for that one moment, and my scream of pain exploded through the room, echoing back into my ears. I could have sworn I saw the floor shake.

All of this had happened in the frame of a few seconds.

Then, a blinding light erupted in the air, burning my eyes. The pain stopped. There was silence.

And everything went dark.

08080808080808080808080

(3rd person POV)

Nicholas Joseph Fury had seen some shit in his lifetime. Super Soldiers, huge secret organizations with plans to take over the world, Mutants, more secret organizations, men turned into unstoppable monsters, more FREAKING SECRET ORGANIZATIONS, and Gods. In short, a fuck ton.

But when a teenage girl appeared out of nowhere on the ceiling in a top secret highly guarded military research base that was dang near impossible to break into, and a even more secret room that he KNEW was impossible to break into, Nick admitted to himself he had never seen something like that.

He was almost a little surprised.

He had been standing in the Tessaract room, silently watching the blue cube it was named after. The strange glowing square had been kept an ancient secret for thousands of years, and held an unimaginable amount of power. Power that could be used.

The dark-skinned man had stood there in silence, and almost didn't notice when the girl appeared near the ceiling of the room. The was no wind, no flash, no sign of her arrival, she simply appeared without a sound.

The girl seemed to be about 14 or 15 years of age, with short brown hair and a slightly pudgy face. She was wearing a scruffy blue long sleeved shirt and grey baggy pants, most likely sweatpants. She wore worn silver sneakers. Definently the athletic type, but certainly no expert spy.

Nick Fury took in all this as the girl fell, but made no move to try to catch her. If she was a threat at all, the impact would render her unconscious, making her easy to capture.

She landed with a thud next to where the Tessaract was being kept, sending a clang through the room. The scientists in the room watched with wide eyes, as the guards drew their guns, everyone noticing her presence now.

But to his (slight) surprise, the girl got up after hitting the floor, and tried to get to her feet. In a millisecond, Fury knew what was going to happen, but no one was close enough to stop her. He yelled in his deep commanding voice, "DON'T MOVE!". But it was too late.

The girl had put out her hand, and it touched the Tessaract.

The young female's body jolted, but her hand stayed firmly on the Tessaract, as if stuck there by glue. She convulsed wildly, and somehow Fury knew she was going through immense pain.

Then, she opened her mouth and screamed. It was bloodcurdling, louder than any normal human should have been capable of. The heart wrenching scream echoed through the room, making the people present put their hands to their ears in pain.

A blinding flash lit up the room, like a bolt of lightning.

Then, it stopped, and the girl went limp, crashing to the floor.

Everyone was silent in awe and surprise.

Fury was unfazed. He barked, ordering two agents to get the girl away from the Tessaract.

"Get her to the Helicarrier, NOW. We don't know how she might have been affected."

The agents immediately sprang into action, picking up the girl's unconscious body and walking out of the room. They left in only 5 minutes, flying off in a plane.

Nick Fury gazed at the strange blue cube.

Was it just him, or was it glowing a little less brighter than it was before?...

That's when the second thing that almost surprised him happened.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! It's awesome that you like it! I was checking this late last night, and when I saw those two reviews I squealed so loudly, I almost woke my family! It's so amazing knowing people are actually excited to see something I wrote! ME! I could barely go to sleep, I was so giddy!**

**Now, I wanted to figure out how often I'll be updating, and I was wondering if once a week would be too long. So what do you guys think I should do?**

**Anyway, thanks so much, you awesome people you! Hope you like this chapter! And remember, tell me if you see any errors or mistakes!**

**Dis. Dis claimer. Not dat claimer. Dis claimer: I don't own the Avengers. Totally don't. I didn't just sneak into Marvel headquarters and steal the rights to it. Totally didn't do that. Really.**

**UPDATE: Revised some mistakes.**

Lightning.

Everything was so murky.

Blue.

Green.

Figures in the mist.

Running. Whispering.

Hiding something.

Fog.

Fog drifting through it all.

A thick cloud all around.

The images, colors, feelings changed, swirled, mixed into a muddy soup.

But the fog stayed, keeping them in shadow.

Just one step from recognition.

Trying to get closer.

"Who are you?"

Running nowhere.

"Where am I?"

Blue.

"Mom?"

Warm.

Friendly.

Safe.

"Dad?"

Green.

"What's happening?"

Scared.

Confused.

"I want to go home!"

Sad.

Betrayed.

"What did you do!?"

No.

"No."

Lost.

"Help!"

Help.

Angry.

Red.

"Help!"

Screams.

Tears.

Darkness.

"HELP ME!"

Please.

Light.

Voices.

Wake up.

0808080808080808080

"NO!"

I heard myself shout as I jolted up.

My eyes slowly opened, cautious, carefully adjusting to the light.

A bed, with clean white sheets draped over it, not a speck of dirt in sight. Everything was white and clean. The room I seemed to be in looked.. strange, to say the least. It looked futuristic, with weird silvery walls and floor. There was a table next to me, with all sort of weird tools I couldn't recognize. There were three other beds in the room, all of them nearly made. I then noticed that I was alone in the room. That was weird.

I looked down. I was in the bed, wearing one of those horrible hospital gowns. With my many accidents, I had been in them more times than I wanted to. They were ugly white things that embarrassingly showed you backside if you didn't hold it together. I scowled, and looked around for my clothes, but there was nothing. Then, I remembered. The fall. The metal floor.

Was I in a hospital? Had it all been some whacked out dream I had in a coma, fueled by painkillers? I shook my head, trying to make sense of the murky soup that was my memories. No. It couldn't have been a dream. That pain I had felt couldn't have just been an illusion, created by my twisted brain. That pain was real.

Breaking the silence of the empty room, I muttered,

"What the flying fuck happened to me?"

I knew my Mom would ground me if she was here to hear that. I usually don't swear. I hate how words like that were used to hurt others. But this was an exception, as I couldn't find any other word to describe my feelings.

My thinking was interrupted by a subtle whoosh of air, as metallic doors slid open. I hadn't noticed those doors before.

My eyes widened when a man walked into the room. He was a tall, dark-skinned man, easily towering over me. His head was bare of any hair, a smooth surface that reflected a small amount of light. His lips were in a permanent frown, and a black eyepatch covered his left eye, strange scars coming out from under it. A dark mustache went around his mouth and formed a short beard. He wore a black jacket and pants, with a trench coat coming down past his knees.

In the white room, he stood out like a parrot in a group of pigeons. But strangely enough, he somehow looked familiar.

He walked over to my bed, and I pulled the covers over me, silently yelling (in my head),

'Stranger danger! STRANGER DANGER!'

The pirate dude stared at me, making me twitch in anxiety. Who the heck was this guy? He certainly didn't seem like a doctor.

He glared out of his one good eye, making me shrink back slightly. I didn't know what it was about him, but he was intimidating!

Now, let me tell you something. I am not a shy girl. I do not get meek or scared easily. When I have an opinion, I let everyone know. And I don't take nonsense from anyone. If I think you're being rude or creepy, I will speak my mind, and get sassy. I do not let ANYONE boss me around. And right then, I glared back.

The man stopped glaring, and then opened his mouth.

"Who do you work for?"

He asked me a question in his deep voice. It was actually more of an order than a question.

I was surprised. Work for? What? I didn't know what to say. So I told him the truth.

"McDonalds. You know, the place where most teenagers work at?"

He didn't like my answer.

"Who are you. Where do you live. Who do you work for."

He said.

This guy was weird. I frowned.

"One: I'm Kara. Not saying last names, cause no offense, but I don't tell my personal info to pirates. Two. I live in Maine, most boring place in the world. And three. Once again, I used to work at a fast food restaurant, before I DIED."

I yelled the last word as I scowled at him. Then, I started asking my own questions.

"Now tell me: Why am I not dead? Because last time I checked, falling off Mount Everest tends to kill most people! I remember falling, I remember dying, I remember it all!"

The man raised and eyebrow.

"So tell me,"

I smiled sweetly.

"IS THIS HELL?! Because it sure AIN'T HEAVEN!"

I was breathing heavily, shooting daggers at the Man in Black (heh, pun).

He simply smiled, albeit slightly.

I was bewildered. Most people were at least surprised when I went nuclear on them. This guy was a marvel!

A few seconds went by.

"You have attitude. Nice. I'll be a bit more courteous this time."

I was shocked. A few seconds ago, I was half expecting him to glare me into ashes.

"Uh...thanks?"

Then, his smile quickly disappeared.

"My name is Nick Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D."

In that moment, my blood froze.

My mouth went dry.

My brother had posters of him all over his room. My Mom said he was a Badass.

Face.

Eyepatch.

Trench coat.

Everything matched up.

"It can't be."

Nick Fury.

Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.

One of the main characters in "The Avengers".

"Fuck."

Then, I once again spiraled into darkness.


	4. Chapter 4

**Could this be? FOUR CHAPTERS!? IMPOSSIBLE! Or is it... Because I have the POWER! The POWER...OF SUGAR! With the power of Sugar, I have the energy to write FAR longer than the average fanfiction writer! At least, until my sugar high runs out. **

**Hi de ho, true bereaders! Welcome to the *GASP* fourth chapter! Wow. I used to think I was a bad writer! I mean, I'm still not the best, but you guys like it, and that's an achievement on its own! So, I actually got this far, and I'm not stopping anytime soon! Sugar, DON'T FAIL ME NOW!**

08080808080808080808080

I woke up again, my head throbbing in pain.

"Ugh." I mumbled sleepily.

Most of my ailments would leave if I slept more, as my body recuperated quicker when I was asleep. If I slept for five more minutes, this headache would be gone faster than my siblings running to the comic store after a new issue arrived.

"Mom, just let me have a few more minutes, I need to heal.." I groaned, and rolled over in bed. My Mom would understand, knowing about my... conditions.

"Heal what? How is sleep going to heal you in a few minutes?"A cold, feminine voice cut through the air.

My eyes snapped open.

That was not my Mom.

I jerked up in bed, expecting to see my bedroom, plastered with soccer posters and trophies. Instead before my eyes was a plain grey room and a steel door in the wall across from me. Looking down, I saw a grey bed. I seemed to be wearing a dark grey shirt and pants. Yuck. Then, I remembered.

I gasped, and my memories came flooding back, making my head ache even more.

Nick Fury.

A fictional character.

Talking to me.

I couldn't believe it. My brain sputtered and tried to find a reasonable explanation for this.

Hallucination?

No, the pain I had felt was real.

Dream?

Can't be, too clear. Dreams are always muddled for me.

Then, it found an answer.

How did I know it was for real? It could just be an actor playing him! That had to be it! This was all just some mistake!

"Excuse me."

The same steely voice spoke.

I whirled around to see a woman standing by my bed.

She was tall and slender, with a very fit body. She looked like a model you'd see in in a highly revered fashion magazine, except she wasn't as thin as a toothpick. She wore a tight black suit with a zipper coming down the top half. She had two belts on, one by her stomach with a red hourglass on it, the other a plain black belt resting on her hips. I tensed slightly when I saw a holster on each of her thighs, a very realistic looking gun put in each one. Red hair curled at the ends came down to around her chin, contrasting with her blue-green eyes.

She also seemed familiar. I remembered this character had a spider name. Not Spider girl... I glanced at the red hourglass on her belt.

The Black Widow! That was the character's name. I looked up at the woman, meeting her hard stare with my soft one.

"Um...nice Black Widow costume!...Those guns look really real. My sister dressed up as her for Halloween. Her name's Nat..Natasha, right?"

I said nervously.

She hadn't let up her stare, but the millisecond I stopped talking, the woman's hand turned into a blur, and then I saw the barrel of a cold, steely gun pointing at my head.

That was also not a fake gun.

"Ohmygodohmygodohmygod."

I turned to stone, my brain screaming in terror. That was a gun. An actual gun. Pointing at my forehead. Time to go into panic mode! Stop. I stopped myself from screaming, as I looked back up at the woman, her stare having transformed into an icy glare.

"How do you know my name?"

She said, her gun not moving.

This lady was psycho! I tried to remember the stories I had read on people talking to robbers or other criminals and calming them down. I took in a tiny breath.

"I, I, um... Internet?"

I mentally punched myself. The internet! Great, now I was going to get shot in the face. Stupid me.

The lady narrowed her eyes. Her blue green irises scanned my face, analyzing the fear in my eyes and the nervous sweat gathering on my forehead.

I heard a whoosh, and immediately looked to the steel doors, where someone familiar stood. It was the guy dressed up like Nick Fury! He glanced at me, then looked at the psycho lady.

"Agent Romanoff. Put the gun down."

The woman looked at him, not moving the gun away from my face.

"She knows my name."

Eyepatch's (my decided name for the costumed guy) expression did not change.

"We know."

We? Who's we? So far I had only met Eyepatch and Psycho over here.

I piped up, my voice a tiny squeak.

"Um, could you take that..big..cold..deadly gun away from my soft, non-invincible face? Please?"

Eyepatch looked at Psycho. Psycho looked at me. I looked at the camera I had just noticed, and stuck my tongue out at it.

Then, Psycho slowly put her gun back into her holster.

"PHEW! You know, I thought you were actually gonna shoot me there. Actually, why do you have a gun, anyway? I'm pretty sure Comic Con doesn't allow weapons-"

I slapped a hand over my mouth. I babble when I get nervous.

"Heh. Sorry."

I felt the nervous sweat start to appear again when the two looked at me. It was the kinda look you use when your old senile grandmother starts babbling about frogbears and how they flew off with her glasses.

I shook off my nervousness and frowned.

"Okay, I have some questions. First, why are you dressed up like superhero characters? The costumes are pretty good, but wouldn't you want to dress up like some of the more "main" characters, like Captain America, or..the Hulk, I think? Maybe that Hawk guy?"

Those were the only two characters I actually thought were a little bit cool. I wasn't a nerd for them or anything like that, I just liked Captain America because he was sort of like me. Had a serum injected into his bloodstream, it cured all of his problems, and he got strong. My siblings teased me about it, but I had a little respect for him. And the Hulk was super strong, so that was neat.

Eyepatch glared. It seemed like this guy had only two settings: Mad and Extra Mad. But Psycho lady, I swear I heard her growl!

Eyepatch looked at me.

"Ms. Frost, come with me."

He ordered.

I looked back at him skeptically.

"With you? No way! First of all, you most likely kidnapped me and are gonna hold me for ransom, and you know what makes it ridiculous? You're dressed up like Marvel characters while doing it!"

His frown deepened, if that was even possible. Psycho lady took out her gun, and froze.

"Okay, okay, I'm going, I'm going..."

I got out of bed, saying yuck at my ugly grey clothes, and followed Eyepatch out the door. Psycho Lady was following me, her hand by her holster.

We walked down a silvery hallway, and I noticed something strange.

There were more doors in the hall, with no windows to look inside. I spied security cameras all over, and made a face at each one. Then, I saw more people walking by, going into the doors. They were all dressed in black and grey uniforms.

"No fashion sense.." I mumbled under my breath, then pretended I had said nothing.

We kept walking, and I noticed a few people looking at me and whispering. I stuck my tongue out at them.

Then, we finally reached the end if the hallway, and thank goodness for that. My feet, only having socks on, had started to ache, but I dared not complain with the crazy lady with a gun behind me.

Two big metal doors were in front of us, blocking our way. My mind was filled with questions. Who were these people? Where were we? And most important, how much money do they have? Cause, come on, it's gotta cost a lot to have so many retracting metal doors! They were sorta cool, though, I'd give them that.

Then, the doors opened, and I felt my heart skip a beat.

In front of me was a huge room, filled with people. Some were walking about, but most were sitting at computers, doing techy stuff. But what awed me was the front of the room. The walls bent out in a half circle, and was made entirely of glass frames. Outside, I could see only clouds.

This couldn't exist. It couldn't. No government could operate this. I looked at Eyepatch, standing next to me. The eyepatch looked so real, the scars etched into the skin. I looked at a passing person, and saw a symbol on their uniform. I looked around wildly, seeing the same symbol on all of them. I looked down.

On the floor was a huge Eagle symbol inside a circle.

"No. Nononononono."

I had hidden the facts, ignored them. My brain had made up a lie to keep me from breaking down. But now it was staring me right in the face.

"NO!"

I screamed, alarming all the people in the room. I felt a hundred eyes stare at me. A hundred eyes that shouldn't exist.

I shattered. I kneeled to the ground, holding my head in my hands. I cried.

"I want to go home. I want to go home."

I didn't have a home anymore.

I was alone.


	5. Chapter 5

**I've noticed a lack of reviews on Chapter four... Could you guys write some for this one? It doesn't have to be much, really. Just your opinion on this chapter. Anyway, I just watched The Avengers again with my best friend, and we had an amazing time fangirling over Tom Hiddleston (My gods he's cute) and Captain Dorito. So I've got a lot of ideas for this, and I'm going to try to write a nice, long chapter, and probably fail.**

**Dis Claimer: I don't own the Avengers, so stop reminding me!**

080808080808080808080808080

No.

I screamed, putting the gushing hurricane inside me into one ear-shattering sound.

I sobbed loudly, screaming and crying, yelling, "Why!", over and over. I was alone. I was nothing. Everything. Colors swirling, stomach churning, feelings mixing into a black blur. Nothing could show what I was going through.

It was all gone.

Nick Fury tried to put a hand on my shoulder, but I lashed out, blind with anger and tears. He drew back, and ordered two large agents to take me somewhere. Natasha stared at me, her eyes wide in surprise. Her eyes watched me writhe in pain. Most of the people in the room were staring at the crying girl in their midst, none of them even comprehending what I was going through. No one could.

I heard nothing but the ringing in my ears. It was unbearable. I wasn't supposed to be here. I couldn't. It broke every single thing I knew and lived by. Fiction was reality. My mind teetered on the brink of insanity, hearing voices I shouldn't have.

People always fantasize about going to different universes, meeting their favorite fictional characters. They think it would be fun. They think everything would be an adventure, how there wouldn't be a boring second. Fun.

They don't think about how earth shattering it is to wake up and realize the world you are in is not your own. That two dimensional characters that were created, written, suddenly stand before you. They are not what you think they are. And you. You are sucked from your home, your family, YOUR LIFE, and dropped into another not yours. And there's no way back. You will never see your old blue house, with the yard that Mom Penny never mows. The old tree in the backyard where you would climb to the top over and over again. Your room, the place where you felt safe, the place that truly reflected your true self. Your family. Your beautiful mother Grace that loved to play soccer with you. Your mom Penny, who always read books to you before bed. Your brothers and sisters, who always found a way to make you smile and laugh even on a bad day. Your life. The one with ups and downs, but no matter what happened, IT WAS YOUR LIFE, AGAIN!

Never again.

You're erased. Drawn into life with a crooked smile, but still a happy one. And then you're rubbed out, gone, nothing left but a smudge.

You are gone.

I cried so hard.

Two men took be by the arms and lifted me up. I screamed and thrashed, yelling at them to let me go, never letting up the torrent of tears. I just wanted to shrivel up, like a dead leaf, no life left. I wanted a shoe to crush me, and I'd be gone. But then what if I just went somewhere else? No matter how many times I would die, I could never go home. I would never see them again.

The men took me to a grey room, filled with only a circular table and some chairs. They dropped me into a seat and left. It might have just been me, but I thought I saw pity in one of the men's eyes as he left.

Pity for the broken little girl.

I sat there for hours. Pain wracked my body as I slammed my head into the steel table. Back..back home, I had never understood why some people would cut themselves. Why cause even more pain? I now had the answer, as my tears formed puddles on the table, and I slammed into them. The pain coming from my injuries would distract me from the pain in my mind. But only for a few seconds. I curled up in a ball, crying and crying until my eyes ran dry. Then there was silence.

I sat there for a while and thought. The shock was mostly past, but I still trembled slightly. Then, I slowly fell asleep.

I dreamt of my Mother Grace, always soft and kind, always helping me through my problems. She cradled me in her arms, stroking my hair and humming softly.

_"Mommy?" I spoke, my voice tiny and meek._

_"I'm... I'm scared."_

_My mother smiled, and softly kissed my forehead. It felt like a butterfly._

_"I know, Kara. I know you are scared. But remember, you are safe. I won't always be here, and I want you to be ready. I love you so much."_

_Tears gathered in my eyes. _

_"Mama, please don't leave. I need you."_

_Her eyes held so much so much sadness as she looked in mine._

_"I'm so sorry, Kara. Be strong for me. Promise you'll be strong. Promise."_

_I wiped away the tears, and gulped._

_"I promise."_

A whoosh of air awakened me. I immediately noticed the puddle of salty liquid staining my face. Tears. I wiped them off with my already wet sleeve. It didn't make a difference, but I didn't care. I turned to see a man walk in. He had balding brown hair and a broad jaw, but somehow he seemed kinder than the other ones I had met. Maybe it was his blue eyes or soft smile.

Whoever he was, he sat down in a chair next to me. I glared at him, resenting S.H.I.E.L.D, blaming it for everything.

"What do you want?

He looked at me, noticing my tired, blood-red eyes, and frowned.

"I'm Phil Coulson, and I just wanted to see if you were okay."

"Yeah, right. I know why you're here. To pry out what I've been keeping from your boss? To find out why I had a mental breakdown in view of hundreds? You wanna know who the fuck I am and where the fuck I came from?"

With every word I straightened up more, my eyes practically glowing red. His look of surprise proved me right. Who would expect a weak, crying little girl to start yelling and swearing?

"I'll tell you." I slumped back down. "Because I know if I don't you'll torture me until you do."

I didn't want to get emotional again as I told him everything, so I remembered a memory, of a vacation our whole family went on. It was in Stuttgart, Germany. My mom was German, and we were visiting relatives there. We had such a fun time in that city, but my favorite was when we went to the Art museum. I know, it sounds boring, but it was amazing to see the beautiful art there. It wasn't home, but I desperately wanted to go there, where it was only me and the art.

"My name is Kara Frost. I used to live in Maine, in the United States of America. But..."

I wanted to go there, so badly... To Stuttgart, to the art museum, where everything was quiet. I wanted to go-

"There." I heard my voice speak, and and saw Coulson gasp, his eyes grow wide. I looked down and copied his reaction exactly. My heart was glowing, beating slowly with a light blue hue. I looked at my hands, and they were emanating the soft blue light too. The light continued to glow brighter, filling up the while room. I imagined by this point the security cameras they had most certainly had in this room could see nothing but light.

Coulson had gotten out of his chair, and was talking hurriedly on some sort of communicator. I didn't know what was happening, my mind swirling in confusion.

"W-what's happening!?" I shouted. The light was too bright. I couldn't hear anything anymore.

Then the light was gone. But I wasn't in the grey room anymore.

I looked around, and what met my eyes was a darkened street, buildings all around. People were screaming and running, but what from? I looked behind me. The Museum. The art museum was lit up with spotlights, banners announcing a special event tonight. Well dressed people were running from the building, screaming in German.

Then, I saw one figure walk out of the building. A well dressed man was walking calmly out of the building. Not screaming, not running, but walking relaxedly with a sly smile. My eyes widened when I saw what he was holding in his hand.

A long golden staff that reached the ground, with a sharp, deadly curved tip. It held a dark blue sphere within it. Then, the man's clothes started changing, armor started forming, glowing with golden light. A gold helmet appeared on his head, two long horns curving outward. It looked a bit funny, but I held back my chuckle. I saw this was a dangerous man, and quickly hid behind one of the pillars bordering the courtyard.

The people tried to flee, but he slammed down the staff, and suddenly, lookalikes of him appeared in top of the four pillars, including the one I was hiding behind. I shrank down, not making a sound. The menacing man's new clothes were gold and green, and he looked at the frightened crowd with a sickening smile.

"Kneel before me." His voice was high and regal. He obviously thought he was better than us.

"I said, KNEEL!" He yelled, and stamped his staff onto the ground again, sending out a shockwaves that made everyone kneel. Everyone except me. I stayed deathly silent, not daring to move for fear the clone above would see me.

Then, an old man stood up.

"Not to men like you."

The man dressed in gold smiled.

"There are no men like me."

I was getting angry. How dare he, some stupid guy with a huge ego, act like that! My temper was rising, and I had half a mind to go out there and slap him. Luckily I had enough common sense to stay quiet.

Suddenly, I felt a hand grab my shoulder. I realized, in my anger it had let out a soft growl. Now one of the clones had me by the arm, and no matter how I struggled, his grip was like a steel clamp. He dragged me up to the front of the crowd, and then threw me to the ground. I looked up to see two black boots, and heard a cold voice. I couldn't see it, but I knew he was smiling.

"Hello."


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello, True Bereaders! Thanks for all of your reviews and follows! It's awesome to think 20 people actually are interested in my story! Eee, I get a jolt just saying that! But to be truthful, I am having a bit of trouble with this story. The plot is similar to others, but I want to make it unique, different. If any of you have ideas, put them in your review!**

**So I've been going back over my chapters and noticing mistakes I missed. So I wanted to ask, would anyone like to be a Beta Reader for my story? I don't always have the time to look over the chapters, so one would be appreciated.**

**Writing Loki is hard! I hope I don't completely butcher his character...oh, and remember, please review. I want to know what I may have done wrong. Your reviews help me become a better writer! Enjoy the chapter!**

**080808080808080808080808080808080808080808080**

"Hello, mortal.. Thought you could hide from me?"

The man's cold, pride-filled voice cut through the air. Who was this guy? Whoever he was, my instincts only shouted one thing: Run. There was an edge to his voice that sent shivers down my spine. He was so hard, so cold, yet sly, like a poisonous snake slipping through the grass. I only knew that this man was dangerous. My heart was racing, thumping against the hard pavement. There were scrapes on my knees and arms, but I ignored the sharp sting, holding back tears that threatened to flow from my eyes. For a second, I thought I saw a blue glow, but it disappeared. I blinked, then focused back on the ground.

"Why do you hide your face, mortal? Frightened?"

He said.

I knew he was smiling. Most likely a sly smirk, my meekness making him confident. I couldn't give him that satisfaction, so I looked up from the ground where I had been thrown, and met his eyes.

For a second, I thought I saw something in his green pupils. Anger, betrayal, sadness. Overwhelming sadness. Then it was gone, fading to a cold, hateful glare. I shivered, feeling a nonexistent cold wind blow at the back of my neck. I brushed it off, thinking it a trick of the eyes. (Puns!) He grinned, showing off his teeth.

"So, the wench thinks herself a brave soul…"

The man gripped his staff, it's razor sharp edge shining. He traced a finger along it's blade, drawing a drop of blood.

"And we all know what happens to those who rebel, yes?"

I got the message, and lowered my head, fixing my gaze on the pavement. My anger was rising, telling me to kick him. But I was smarter than that. He could run me through with his staff easily, so it was better to stay on his good side. He chuckled.

"Wise choice.."

Then, he looked up at the crowd, and spoke.

"Now do you see? With freedom, you are fools. You challenge those who stand above you, and do not back down. And for your stupidity, you are punished."

He said the last word slowly and maliciously. It was obvious he took pleasure in the fear it incited in the people before him.

"Then you fall into despair. You cower and hide, waiting for a hero to save your pitiful life."

He said. I knew he was talking about me. I was having a hard time my anger in check. How dare he, some snobby bastard with greasy hair and fancy clothes, insult the thing that shaped us all! I gritted my teeth and pushed the stream of swears back down my throat.

"It only shows that you were meant to be ruled. Look at yourselves! You run and scream like herds of mindless cattle. Without a strong ruler to control them, they wander about aimlessly, slowly and eventually dying gruesome deaths."

With every word, my blood grew hotter, getting near boiling point. Holding back my sheer rage was like a broken dam trying to hold a lake. It was slowly breaking, and soon, a torrent of emotions would cascade out of me. I dug my fingernails into my palm, drawing drops of blood where they cut.

"You are nothing compared to me. You are dirt."

I saw red. A feral growl started building in my throat.

"You are human. And that just speaks for itself, doesn't it?'

And something inside me snapped.

"No."

I got to my knees. The man stared, surprised. The man who mocked me, made me look like a coward, and dared to insult the very essence of humanity, looked down at me.

"What?"

"I said No." I growled, a low, rough sound.

"You're wrong. You wanna know something about freedom?"

Before he could utter a word, I answered my own question.

"Freedom is part of being human. Without freedom, we are chained down, beaten senselessly, and worked to death. Freedom stopped that. Slaves didn't have freedom. They were treated like animals by rich men who thought they were better than them."

As I spoke, I slowly rose to my feet. Then, I looked him in the eyes.

"And do you know what they did? They risked everything. Those slaves ran. Not in fear. They ran to a better place. A place of freedom."

I smiled ever so slightly.

"The thing about humans? We're crazy. Even when there's no hope of overcoming our foes, we never quit. We keep on fighting until we die. So if you think you can just stroll in here and take over the world..."

I glared right into his green pupils.

"Think again."

Everything was silent. My flow of anger ebbed, and was gone.

The man stared with his surprised emerald eyes. Then, slowly, they turned from astonishment...

To anger.

'I'm screwed.' Was the only thought in my head. I waited for him to start screaming at me, but he was silent. With unbridled fury in his pupils, he looked past me.

"Take this girl as an example."

He spoke to the crowd.

My eyes widened and filled with fear. I took a few steps back, but I knew I couldn't escape. The man pointed his staff directly at me, and the blue orb started pulsing with power.

'Great. Universe brings me back from the dead, and what do I do? Piss off a guy with a magic staff!' I mentally slapped myself.

"Goodbye, girl." The man snarled, a smirk upon his face once more.

The orb then shot out a glowing ball of energy at me. I saw it coming towards me in slow motion, a look of horror upon my face. I was going to die. At the very last second, I closed my eyes, not wanting to see the impact. Hopefully I would die instantly, not feeling any pain. Yeah, right, like that's going to happen. I waited for it to hit...and there was nothing. No pain, no falling into darkness, nothing. I only felt a slight tingle in my chest that disappeared in a second.

I opened my eyes to see the man staring, eyes wide, mouth open, at me. What had happened?

"What?!" He said, a confused tone in his voice. Then, he glared at me, and raised his staff again. The orb shot out another ball of energy, and this time I watched it travel through the air at me. I remained still, but when the energy hit me, something happened that made me not believe what I was seeing.

When the energy hit me, I didn't feel anything but a tingle, like the one before. The energy hit my chest, but instead of being blasted back, incinerated, or any of those things glowing balls of energy seem to do, it simply went into me, and was gone. I had..absorbed it? My mouth hung open in disbelief.

The man growled angrily, and fired at me again. The same thing happened. Again. Again. Again. Over and over he fired, his rage growing with every shot.

"HOW CAN THIS BE!?" He shouted. Then, the orb started glowing brighter and brighter, gathering energy. My eyes would have widened even more if it was possible. Then, he fired, a massive sphere of destructive power flying at me. What ever I had done with the other ones, I wasn't sure I could do with this.

A second before it hit, a blue and white figure appeared out of nowhere in front of me, and the sphere bounced back at the man, knocking him back. The figure, who I now saw was a man in a white and blue suit, turned around and smiled at me.

"You okay?"

But I could only stare. I almost instantly recognized him. The one Superhero I actually kinda like. The one I could relate with, sympathize with.

"Captain America."


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys, it's Evedawalrus back with another chapter! Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I got a bit of writer's block. I sat with my ipad for five minutes, just staring at the screen. Anyway, once I got started with this chapter, I couldn't stop! I actually sort of had to force myself to stop writing. **

**So, remember to review! It really makes me happy to see a new one every time I check my story. So, enjoy the chapter!**

08080808080808080808080

I gaped at the muscled man in front of me as he gave a concerned look. Captain America, the living legend. Living legend? Oh the irony. Anyway, I was stunned.

"Are you okay?"

He asked.

"Did he hurt you?"

My mouth hung open slightly. As much as I didn't like Marvel, I secretly kinda liked Captain America. Not because he was strong, brave, or very handsome.

He was like me. Weak and pretty much useless at first, but a chemical injected into us changed all that. We were both made stronger, better, by science. Sometimes I would wonder, would I be different if I was born normally? Would I like sports? Would I be as strong? Would I be me? My Mom told me not to think like that. It only stirred up bad thoughts. I knew about the chemical that flowed in my bloodstream, making me different from everyone else. I felt alienated at school, even though no one had ever known about my secret. It didn't matter how much I talked, laughed, or interacted with my friends, I knew that I would never be like them. I was a product of science. Kept living by experiments. It always sat at the back of my mind, silently whispering. I wasn't normal. I'd never be. But after years of practice, I had learned to ignore it, mostly.

My siblings loved to tease me about it, calling me Cap whenever they could. It soon became my nickname. It was annoying, but it stuck. I rolled my eyes at them, but when I was alone in my room, I'd look at myself in the mirror, and imagine myself, but stronger, braver. Out there saving the day. That was the difference between the soldier and me.

He was a hero. He used his differences to help people.

I used mine to play soccer.

"Miss?"

I snapped back to reality to feel a hand on my shoulder. I looked back up at him, and saw his blue eyes look at me with concern. Steve, or that's what I thought his name was, had bent down slightly, worried by my silence.

"Did he hurt you?"

I subconsciously rubbed my arm where the clone had grabbed me. It had been rough, but there was only a bruise. I healed quickly, so I would be fine. Then, I realized something. He hadn't seen me absorb the energy. I mentally sighed in relief. Somehow, I felt he wouldn't treat me the same way if he had seen what I did. What I was.

"I.. I'm f-fine."

I stuttered, and tried to smile. I still didn't know what I had done with the energy, or how I had come to Germany. I was afraid, afraid of what I had done, of what was happening. I realized that I was shivering, and steadied myself.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

The concern on his face lessened, and he stood up. Then, he held out a hand to me. I gingerly took it, noticing the warmness of his hand through the gloves he was wearing.

For some reason, the heat of his hand was comforting. Maybe it was because he had been the first person in this scary place to actually show compassion to me. He was worried for me. That one thought lit up a candle of happiness in my dark mind, rejoicing in the light. Then, immediately as it lit, my hope darkened. He was a superhero. I looked like just a scared little girl. He'd act like this with any person. Shaking those thoughts off, I focused on standing back up. I didn't want to let go of his hand. It was soft, but so strong. Like he would protect me. I let go, trying not to show my emotions.

Captain America smiled at me, them said,

"You're brave to stand up to Loki, but he could have hurt you, miss. I'll handle it from here."

Loki. So that was that creep's name. I nodded slowly, still out of it. Cap turned away to face Loki, who had gotten up and was dusting himself off. I swallowed nervously when Loki looked up, and his piercing green eyes met mine. Then, his gaze shifted to Cap, and filled with anger. I realized he had not been looking at me with rage or hatred, but...curiosity. Now that I had caught his interest, he would stop at nothing to find out every one of my little secrets, no matter how deep or dark.

"Get out of here." Cap said, his voice low and cold. That was an order. He started advancing toward Loki, his shield up, his stance tensed, ready for attack. I nodded dumbly, and started slowly walking backwards. My muscles tensed, getting ready to sprint as fast as I could.

Cap spoke to Loki.

"You know, the last time I was in Germany and saw a man standing above everybody else, we ended up disagreeing."

Loki sneered, and said in his chilling voice,

"The soldier. A man out of time."

"I'm not the one who's out of time."

Suddenly, I heard the whooshing sound of an aircraft grow loud. I looked out to see some kind of plane appear above the courtyard, and a voice come out of it. I squinted, and saw a familiar face.

The Black Widow said,

"Loki, drop the weapon and stand down."

For a second, I thought the man was going to obey her. Then, he attacked Cap, blasting him with his scepter.

"Kneel!"

The madman yelled. I gasped, but was filed with relief when Cap flipped, knocking Loki back with his leg. I watched the two fight, wanting to go help, but afraid of what Loki might do to me. Cap was a soldier. He knew how to fight. I didn't.

Then, I heard music coming from all around, and a red and gold figure flew in. Flew. ...Okay. Weirder things had happened. The man was flying in a red and gold metal suit, with blue energy coming from the soles of his feet. So that was how he was flying. Weird. He flew down towards them, and suddenly shot a beam of blue energy at Loki, blasting him back. Then, he spoke in a jaunty voice.

"Make your move, Reindeer Games."

Oh, his helmet. I realized the metal man was making fun of Loki's horned helmet. It did look quite funny, to be honest.

Loki looked at Cap, then the plane still hovering over us, then the metal man. And he put his hands in the air.

"Good move."

The plane then slowly landed, and the Black Widow stepped off.

Wait a minute. My eyes widened as I realized that the one of the people I had escaped from was standing less than 20 feet away from me! Then, to my horror, the red haired woman turned and saw me standing there, and her face hardened. I had to get out of here. I turned and sprinted, my legs pumping against the concrete.

"Stop her!" I heard her shout, but I didn't look back. Have to get away. I wasn't going back there, not again. Even though I was putting all my focus on running as fast as I could, I could hear Cap talking to The Widow, saying something about me being just a girl. I knew he would be surprised when he heard that I wasn't so innocent. The one person who actually had been worried about me, maybe even cared about me the smallest bit, now probably hated me.

I ran across the deserted road, a small tear slipping out of my eye. I didn't hear any footsteps behind me. Was I safe? Then, I heard a whoosh of air, and I felt a cold, hard arm wrap around my midsection. Then, my feet weren't touching the ground anymore.

I saw two red and gold arms wrapped around my torso, lifting me up off the ground, into the air.

"Not sure why Nat wants you, but listen kid, I don't care what you did, but if it made her angry, you're screwed."

The metal man said.

He was flying along, holding me to his chest so I wouldn't fall. I was struggling, trying to break free, but his grip was like, well, iron.

"You know, most women wish they could get this close to me. Consider yourself lucky."

I could tell he was joking, but my cold cheeks turned red anyway. I renewed my efforts, but I was stuck.

"I'm Tony Stark, also known as Iron Man, but you already know that."

I kept fighting against his hold as he flew through the air, and grunted,

"No, no I don't. Never heard of you."

Even though I couldn't see Tony Stark's face, his voice sounded extremely surprised.

"You WHAT!? No way!"

We slowed down, and I saw the Black Widow and Cap standing by the plane. I tensed up, suddenly feeling very self conscious. Iron Man landed with a whoosh, and slowly let go of me. I thought of running away again, but being surrounded by a woman with a gun, a super soldier, and a man in a metal suit lowers any chance of escape to zero. Natasha had her hand on her pistol, and Cap was holding his shield at the ready. For what felt like an hour, they stared at me, Widow in anger and Cap, surprisingly, in concern. Tony blurted,

"Natasha, this kid doesn't know about me! ME!"

"Shut up, Tony." She replied, her eyes glued on me.

I could handle the cold woman's stare, but I had to avoid meeting Cap's eyes. Natasha had probably told him about everything, including what I had done with the energy. I looked at my feet, and Natasha stepped forward, clicking some handcuffs onto my wrists.

Tony spoke up.

"Woah, what's with the handcuffs? The kid's, like, thirteen!"

"Fourteen." I mumbled, still not looking up.

"I'll explain on the way. Come on."

Natasha said, and led me to the plane. We sat down in seats that faced opposite each other, making me have to face Steve, who sat across from me. Next to him was Loki, who did nothing but stare at me. It was really quite unnerving, and I shrank into my seat.

It was ridiculous. I hadn't met Cap until less than ten minutes ago, but I already cared about what he thought of me. I could feel his looking at me. I knew there was a frown on his face. He had seemed worried about me, before. Now he knew everything.

Tears stung my eyes, but I held them back. I instead sat in silence. Dejected. Tiny. Broken. I wanted to cry. I wanted to scream.

I wanted to run away, and be alone. The plane took off, making me look up for a second. In that second, I met Cap's eyes.

I looked back down, and allowed one solitary tear slip down my face.


	8. Chapter 8

Look at that! It's... Another Chapter! WHAAAAT!? Wow, I couldn't stop writing today! But, since I've posted new chapters two days in a row, I'm going to take a break for a little while. I've got school to worry about, anyway.

So, tell me if any character seems OOC, if I got anything wrong, or if you notice any punctuation or spelling errors! Please review, I want to hear everyone's opinion of this chapter so I can fix any problems. Reviews really motivate me to write, guys, so keep on writing them!

Minionloverforever: Yeah, she's not going to get invincible. Kara is just not affected that much by attacks.

Alibird1: There probably won't be any pairings here, as Kara is only 14, and there aren't any characters that are around her age. But, if I were to write a sequel...

Enjoy the chapter, and remember, I don't own any of this and neither do you!

EDIT: I added some more stuff in certain parts of the chapter, especially around when Kara meets Thor. Enjoy!

08080808080808080808080

There were only two words to describe our flight on the plane: Long and Awkward.

I wanted to cry, but it would be the ultimate embarrassment to break down, again, in front of Black Widow. So I held my tears back, ignoring the pressure building behind my eyes. Everyone was mostly silent, except for Tony. I could already guess his whole personality. Snarky, a smartass, and an ego just as big as Loki's. He kept chattering on about this or that, but I tuned him out.

I just kept staring at my hands, which were locked together in handcuffs. They were cold and metallic, and felt uncomfortable against my skin. I didn't try to wriggle out of them. I couldn't escape, anyway. Steel door on my left, an armed super spy on my right.

And a soldier across from me.

I kept avoiding Cap's gaze, trying not to look at him at all. It was horrible. When I had met him, he had shown nothing but kindness. He had been worried. For my safety! No one here had done that before, except possibly that agent, Phil, or something. But he was just trying to get me to spill my secrets, I reminded myself. He didn't care about me.  
And now that Cap knew the truth about the brave girl that stood up to Loki, he probably hated me too. My chest ached.

My mind was a whirl of emotions. Sadness, anger, fear. I tried to mentally steady myself, but to no avail. So to get myself away from those thoughts, I started to think about my... Powers. How I got to Stuttgart. How I wasn't hurt by Loki. How did I do that? I was a normal girl from an average, everyday world. I tried to remember, how did I get here?

I searched into my memories, and remembered. A snowy mountain. Wind. Falling. Then there was a blank. Was that it? But then I noticed something. A prickle at the back of my mind. Another memory. Light came, and then a dull pain. Confusion, stand up, then- I cringed. It was a memory of blinding pain. I remembered screaming, then, a soft blue. The blue was such a nice color. Along with the horrible pain, somehow I remembered a faint warmth. Then, abrupt darkness.

I came back out of my memories having more questions than before. In my frustration, I let out a quiet groan.

"Ugh."

I froze, knowing someone was looking at me. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Mentally slapping myself, I dared to look up for a second- and glimpsed Loki watching me. When he saw me look up and see him, the corners of his mouth turned up ever so slightly. His chilling smile sent a shiver down my spine, and I hurriedly looked away. I hated that guy.

It started to rain. I loved rain, normally. And in Maine, it rained a lot. It didn't matter that it made my soccer ball slippery, or that the ground would get wet and mushy. The water that fell from the sky always calmed me. The rhythmic way it thumped against my window, how the millions of drops falling milliseconds apart created a soothing background noise. For hours I would just watch and listen to the rain fall, creating tiny rivers in the backyard. If the streams were big enough, I'd go outside with my sisters and sail leaf boats in them. Our contest would usually end with someone jumping into the water, drenching everyone around them. Then, we would all just splash in the huge puddles until we were soaked of the bone. I found that I was resistant to getting colds, so my siblings would always get jealous of me when they started sniffling and sneezing.

This rain wasn't like that. It hammered against the outside of the plane, trying to break in and swoop me out into the air. The tiny drops of water that made me miss home so much seemed to taunt me, repeating over and over,

"Little girl lost, lost little girl,"

And they were right. The rain was angry, pounding on the hard metal of the plane. So much rage. It continued, on and on, and I was about to start screaming when Cap broke the silence.

"I don't like it." He said with his brow furrowed.

"What? Rock of Ages giving up so easily?"  
Tony said.

I stopped listening, and sighed. Everything was just so... Hopeless. I wished that something would happen, anything that could take me away from this cold metal plane, and then I wouldn't have to be near them. Or Loki. I shivered, knowing that the guy that tried to kill me several times was only a few feet away.

A loud boom of thunder made me flinch in surprise, and I saw a bright flash outside. Flying in a thunderstorm? Yikes.

Natasha frowned, and said,

"Where's this coming from?"

I looked around worriedly. Something about this felt familiar. Then, I saw Loki. His eyes were darting around nervously, and he had gone pale. Well, paler than normal. When another flash lit up the sky near us, he flinched. I blinked, astonished. Loki was... scared? Apparently Cap had noticed this too, because he looked at the frightened man and asked,

"What's wrong? Scared of a little lightning?"

Loki sneered at him, and slowly replied,

"I'm not overly fond of what follows."  
I mouthed the words along with him as he spoke them. That line was one of my brother's favorite lines in the whole movie. He had said it over and over so much my whole family had it memorized. When both he and I stopped speaking at the same time, I glanced up to see Cap looking in my direction, but when I looked up, he glanced away.

BOOM.

A tremendous noise came from the outside of the plane. My eyes widened, and I clenched my fists to the point where my knuckles turned bone white and my fingernails dug into my skin. There was a second of silence. No one breathed.

SCREEEEEEEE

There was a loud tearing noise, of metal being ripped. The door that was directly left of me gave a huge groan, and suddenly disappeared, revealing a figure framed my the downpour of rain. He had ripped off the solid steel door? I didn't have time to think, as the man reached out and grabbed Loki. Then, I felt a hand grip my arm, and I was jolted out of my seat.

And before I could grab onto anything, I was hurled out into the storm. I hated Loki, I really did. Twice now he had tried to kill me. And maybe this time he would succeed.

The freezing rain stung the skin on my face, and the raging winds blasted my hair back, making it feel like it was being ripped off. I screamed as loud as I could, but in the roaring sound of the storm, I couldn't hear anything, and no one could hear me. Loki had let go of my arm, leaving me to fall alone. Being fourteen (almost fifteen), I knew a great number of obscenities, and as I fell through the cold air, I called Loki each and every one of them.

Through the downpour, I caught a glimpse of what lay below me. A dense forest filled with tall trees. Great. With my luck, I'd probably be speared by one of them. I screamed again, but the wind stole away my voice before I could make a sound. I couldn't hear anything through the roaring of wind in my ears, and I couldn't see anything but rain around me and trees below me. Pure fear washed over me as I hurtled towards the hard ground, and waited for the pain.

But as I neared the treetops, a felt a sudden warmth from my cold chest. It was a familiar warmth, one that have me the feeling of being home, in my warm bed. Then, a blue flash filled my eyes with light, making me squeeze them shut.

I felt wet branches slap against my face, but there wasn't any burning sensation. Then, there was the impact to the hard, wet ground. I didn't feel anything. For several seconds, I felt numb. Suddenly, a hot needle of pain blossomed in my thigh, making me cry out. I sat up much to the protest of my leg, and looked to my thigh.

A hiss of pain escaped my lips as I saw the bloody gash that ran down my thigh. I saw a sharp rock that had my blood on it next to my leg, and cringed. Along with my new injury, there was a dull but manageable pain all over my body, but that could be handled.

As I looked around, I found myself in the forest, and felt panic setting in. Where was I? Where were the others? As much as I didn't want to go back to the Helicarrier, I couldn't stay out in the wilderness with a bloody injury. This forest was unnerving, and I looked around for any sign of someone. Suddenly, there was a flash of light, not too far off. That's where I needed to go.

It hurt like hell, but even though I was whimpering the whole time, I slowly rose to my feet. Taking care not to put too much pressure on my injured leg, I stumbled towards the source of the light, and sound, which I now could hear. Were they... Talking?

There was a bit of a hill, but I slowly climbed up it, determined to get there. When I got to the top, I stumbled on my bad leg, and tripped.

"Shit." I said, before I fell down the hill. I fell until I stopped at a rocky outcropping, and immediately cradled my leg, now covered in dirt and stinging like mad.

"Well, what do we have here?"

Ice. The haughty voice came from right next to me. Frozen in fear, I slowly turned my head.

Loki.

Great.

Loki was standing next to me, a devious smile on his face.

"It seems the brave girl is hurt. But not dead."

I didn't move. How was I not dead? What was he going to do?

"I see that you fear me. Good. I've been wanting to be alone with you for some time."

He purred, his smile growing. My breathing quickened. A drop of nervous sweat slipped down my forehead. What would I do? Gritting my teeth against the pain, I got to my feet.

"She stands. Does it not hurt?"

I ignored him, instead gazing in surprise at the scene below me, in the clearing at the foot of the hill. Iron Man, Cap, and the other guy were facing off. The man I didn't know was strong and muscular, with long blond hair and a beard. He wore some kind of armor and a long red cape that trailed behind him. In his hand was some type of sledgehammer, but with a sorter handle.

"Thor." Loki said, reffering to the blond guy. It was obvious in his voice that he didn't like him. There was a tone of hatred as he spoke the man's name.

"Yes, he and those other mortals are having a petty fight. But do not direct your attention to them. I have some...questions to ask you."

With that, Loki grabbed my arm in his cold grip, and fearing what he would do to me, I screamed.

"CAP!"

I yelled for him, and as soon as I shouted, he turned around to see me being grabbed by Loki. But as soon as he was distracted, the tall one, Thor, threw his hammer, and it hit Cap in the back, sending his shield off to one side and him to the ground. Thor approached him, saying in a loud voice,

"You have interfered with godly affairs. Your insolence must be punished!"

The air left my lungs, and I realized what Thor was going to do.

"No."

I breathed, and, with adrenaline rushing through me, I kicked Loki in the knee and ran.

My legs pumped as I sprinted down the hill, a quick beat in perfect rhythm. Thor was raising his hammer, and everything went by slowly. The gash on my leg burned and throbbed, but I ignored it. The only thing that mattered was getting to Cap.

I leaped over fallen trees in my path.

Almost there.

Faster.

Faster.

My heart was pounding in my chest, threatening to burst out.

Faster.

The hammer was falling.

Faster.

No.

She wouldn't make it.

Please protect him.

The hammer came down, closer, closer-

BOOM.

The god was blasted backwards,

(Perspective change!)

Just as he was about to strike the soldier, a flash of blue exploded in front of him, blinding the god as he was sent sprawling. What power did the soldier possess that could move a god, he thought. Anger grew inside the immortal as he slowly walked forward, his eyes still recovering. To a mortal, they could have been blinded by something like that. But not Thor. When he could fully see again, he raised his hammer high once more...

And stopped. Thor held the huge weapon still. He stared down at the soldier lying on the ground.

But he wasn't looking at the soldier.

He was looking at the girl.

The young maiden who had suddenly appeared seemingly out of nowhere. She had covered the soldier protectively, preparing to take the blow for him. Thor had instantly stopped. His mouth hung open in astonishment. Where had the girl come from? Why was she protecting the soldier from his punishment?

Could she-?

No. It was impossible.

The girl looked up at him with a dirt smeared face. Her eyes were a soft brown, but flecks of gold in them made brilliant, shining pupils.

Then, the girl spoke.

(Change back!)

I spoke to the towering man above me. My voice was dry, a quiet, cracked squeak.

"Don't hurt him."

The man wielding the hammer stared at her.  
After a few seconds, he replied.

"...Why? He has interfered with the business of the gods. Why should he not recieve punishment?"

Gods. He.. Thor.. was a god. I wanted to hide from his unwavering gaze, but my voice kept talking.

"You don't know him. He's... He's a good man. Please. Please don't hurt him."

I looked up at the god with pleading eyes. It felt like hours had passed. Then, Thor lowered his hammer.

"Fine. The soldier shall be spared."

Tears filled my eyes, and before I knew what I was doing, I jumped up and hugged him.

"Thank you."

"Erm... You are welcome, fair maiden."

Then, realizing what I was doing, I hastily retreated, and bent down to Cap, hiding my bright red face. He had his eyes closed, but was only unconscious. I sighed in relief.

"Um... What did I miss?"

I heard Tony say. I sprang back up to see him walking over, rubbing his head.

"Soo... We're buddies now? And if we're forming a super team, we're the Super Friends. Called it."  
He remarked.

Then, Tony saw the gash on my leg, and winced.

"Might wanna get that looked at."

Thor noticed it, and a look of surprise formed on his face.

"Tis a grave injury! How did you appear in front of Mjolnir with such speed whilist having such a wound?"

I stumbled for an answer, but was saved by Cap waking up.

"What... What happened..."

Then, it looked like his memory returned, as he stood up quickly.

"You.. You shouted. And Loki... Loki!"

We looked up to the hill, where Loki was still standing, an emotionless mask on his face.

"Worry not, Soldier. Loki knows he could not escape. If he were to, I would find him easily."

Thor assured Cap. Cap nodded.

"Well then. Are we done here?"

I was surprised he or Thor hadn't asked me any questions, but I knew in the back of my mind they would come later. Thor retrieved Loki, who looked at me and smiled. I turned away. We went back onto the plane, where Black Widow, for a millisecond, looked concerned for me when she saw my leg. Then, she reverted back into her normal expression. Then, we left.

Back to the Helicarrier.  
To Nick Fury.

I gulped.

This wasn't going to be good.

080808080808080808080808080

Okay, I'm sorry if Thor seemed a little out of character in this chapter. But remember, in the movie he was going to hit Cap, anyway. It was only the shield that saved him. So, hope that you liked this chapter. Please review and all that junk!

~Eve


	9. Chapter 9

Bow to me, as I am truly the Queen of Procrastinators!

I have nothing to say but I'm sorry, guys. I have been putting this off for weeks,- me you guys have been waiting so patiently. I've been caught up in the Holidays, Tumblr, and all the big issues that are going on in the world. I really hope you'll still be interested in Kara's story, because it's about to get serious. Okay, maybe not that serious. Sorry for the short chapter, but I've really just got to get this out of the way.

Please review and follow if interested!

**0808080808080808080808080808080808080**

My heart beat nervously as we flew. In addition to the others, Thor now sat beside me, his hammer resting on the floor. I felt a temptation to pick it up, but stayed silent. I didn't want the GOD sitting next to me to get angry. I still couldn't believe that an actual immortal was living and breathing next to me. He could have decimated me back in the forest, but he didn't.

That train of thought brought me to what happened in the forest. I remembered running towards Cap, Thor's hammer descending, and realizing that I couldn't make it. There was only one thought in my mind at that second.

_Protect Him._

Then, the flash of blue that kept me from seeing anything. Next thing I knew, I was covering Cap protectively. What had I done? I had blasted a god... A god, for crying out loud! What was happening to me? Tears came to my eyes as I wished with all my heart to be home again. I hastily wiped at them, hoping no one had seen the action. Before, it had only been Cap watching with intense curiosity, but now Thor was also giving me strange looks. It was quite intimidating, and I tried my hardest not to squirm under his gaze. Then there was Loki. I had dreaded sitting next to the man, remembering how he had grabbed my arm. It had hurt, honestly, almost like he had claws.

I almost sighed in relief when Natasha announced,

"We're descending onto the Helicarrier."

Even though I would have to face the fury of Fury-I make the worst puns-, at least I wouldn't have to be stuck in that small space with them. As previously stated, I just wanted to get away from the staring, the curiosity. Through all of this, a spot to the right of my chest ached to get away. To go home. I dared to let out a barely noticeable sigh, knowing that the ache would stay with me until I died, whenever that was. I didn't know what had brought me here, so I could never find a way back. I could never go home. My family didn't exist here. How could they? And neither did I.

I was a girl out of place.

I shook my head, clearing out those thoughts. Back to the matter at hand, it was a relief to know I'd be away from the occupants of the ship. Especially him. Loki. Luckily for me, Cap had made sure that Loki sat far away from me. It was a bit comforting, but I still couldn't stand the fact that he was even in the same room as me. The way he had spoken to me in the forest...I shivered inwardly. Loki knew that there was something different about me, and he would do anything to find out what. He had already tried to kill me twice, but somehow, I was more afraid of what I thought he might have done on that hillside. I was lucky that Cap was there. My liking of him had grew when I saw how concerned he was for me, when he saw I was in danger. My heart swelled with hope.

"No!"

Part of my brain, the one that spoke in a bitter, angry tone, cried.

"You know that he knows about what you did. You're not some scared little civilian girl. You're a freak."

As soon as it grew, my hope shriveled up again. My sight shifted out of focus, but I blinked and the world grew detailed again. No. I couldn't cry here. I sniffled. Suddenly, I felt the plane stop it's steady hum that indicated we were flying, and settle until it was still. Natasha called back for the front.

"Since the door is broken (it having been ripped off its hinges and then bent back on and all), I don't think Thor would mind taking it off again?"

She said with a straight face. I thought I saw what may have been the slightest trace of an embarrassed blush on Thor, but he nodded and stood up, taking his big hammer with him. With no more than a small push, the door that had been bent and squeezed back on flew off again, flying several yards before landing next to a now-terrified agent. Then, Thor turned to me (at which I looked to my feet), and gestured to the door.

"Maidens foremost."

I felt the smallest smile creep onto my face, and uttered an almost inaudible thank you, as I stood up and then hopped out the door. I landed on the metal surface, and cringed when the cold metal came in contact with my feet. I suddenly noticed that my feet were bare, a development I had surprisingly not noticed. I could have sworn I had some sort of slippers or at least socks on. It was most likely they had come off in my free fall, or while running. I found it strange that my feet, while dirty, were unscathed. You would think that falling from a plane, landing in a forest, and sprinting down a rocky hill would make some sort of mark. But no, the only noticeable injury was the large scrape on my leg. Tony had bandaged the bleeding cut up, and soon the only sign of my injury was a red stain on the stark white cloth and the dull pain that throbbed every time I took a step. I noticed a thrumming sound, and looked up.

The Helicarrier was huge. It was a mass of grey and silver steel, held in the air by four enormous turbines that continuously roared as they spun. The top was covered by a huge flat platform that served as an area for planes to take off and land on. White marks crisscrossed on the runways, marking where to go. A tower stood firm in one corner, probably controlling the air traffic as one would at an airport. The whole place was bustling with controlled activity, as agents, all dressed in grey, ran about doing something or other. Seeing so much efficiency, I had bet that there was not one pair of idle hands in this whole place. The sound of the turbines hummed behind everything, and I noticed with a shock that the floor I was standing on was strangely still. I had thought it would shake, or at least vibrate, but if I closed my eyes I could almost imagine that I was standing far below, on the silent ground. Besides a weird feeling that hummed in my legs, just barely noticeable if you focused, you would never know that you stood on a floating behemoth. Technology like this was astounding, and I suddenly wanted to ask how it worked. I stood still, taking in the entire scene in silence.

"Ahem."

I heard Natasha clear her throat. I had been just standing there, mouth hanging open like a fool, but quickly recovered to turn in the direction of her voice to see her watching me with a stern frown. She then gestured to to some sort of elevator nearby where several armed agents stood. I glimpsed a flash of Loki along with more agents in the small room before the doors closed. The agents seemed to be waiting, but I wouldn't know anything about them,

I did not want anyone here to hate me any more than they did now, so I bit my lip and started walking again

"I was speechless the first time I saw it, too."

I heard Cap say as he suddenly appeared next to me. Ugh, my heart was already swelling with my liking for the Captain. Why did he have to be so nice!? I wanted to dislike him, to form a scornful shell so I couldn't be hurt anymore, but his kind smile kept softening my armor. He was so nice, so kind, so- UGH! I walked on without a response. Maybe he'd get the message. Kind words weren't going to get me on the good side of SHIELD. They weren't going to get me home. I had to stop thinking about this, I thought as I stood in front of the agents, which were looking a lot like soldiers now that I looked again.. They showed no emotion on their faces, and stood at the ready, prepared to move in case of disaster, which must have happened there a lot. For a few seconds, I stood there awkwardly. I opened my mouth, possibly to prompt something, but was interuprupted before I could do anything.

"Hands out."

The words spoken by the head soldier, a woman, were more of an order than a question, but that was pretty obvious. I raised my hands, which were still bound somehow by the same metal handcuffs. To my surprise, the woman reached out and removed the battered cuffs, letting my hands be free.

I was shocked.

They...

They were letting me go?

My eyes lit up with sparks of joy, and my mind filled with hopeful thoughts. Maybe they didn't see me as a threat, maybe they were letting me go, maybe there was a chance that I could have a new family and friends and a home and a life-

Clank.

The clicking sound was an anchor, pulling me away from the joyful sunlight down into the dark, dark sea. My heart plummeting once again, I gloomily gazed upon the heavy binding cuffs onto my arms. They bound my forearms together, the metal sleeves stretching from my wrists to my elbows. They were heavy, too, and would make it quite the effort to raise my arms.

Chained again.

I was sinking to the bottom of the ocean. There was murky darkness below, no sign of an end. Above, the last ray of sunlight vanished, leaving me to sink so very slowly...

"But-" I raised my voice in a feeble attempt to protest, but with one look from Widow, I was shut down again.

The others seemed surprised.

"Why do you chain the young maiden?" Thor asked. Widow remained firm as she answered.

"She's a threat." Every word turned to needles, jabbing at my skin. "She teleported halfway across the world, brushed off several full-on attacks from Loki, and..." Oh no. "She managed to blast you." I tried everything in my power to melt into the ground on that very second. Of course, my magical wizard powers didn't kick in right at the moment I wanted to disappear. I was busy trying to hide my face under my incredibly short bangs, but I knew at that moment that Thor looked like a mix of curious, shocked, and perhaps even a little bit shaken.

I bet he hadn't known it was me who had... "blasted" him. I could I have been? How could a weak little mortal hit a god, knock him back... I asked myself. My gaze locked onto the cuffs that bounded and hid my hands, and a shiver creeped down my spine. I felt an aversion to those hands. The hands who hit a god. I wanted to get away from them. But they followed me. I was scared. Of myself. What I was. What I was becoming. When the soldiers asked me to come along, I silently obeyed. Maybe it was better if they locked me up. If I was able to move an immortal, a being who could knock aside anything in its path, a being who lived in legends and until the end of time... Then what could I do to a fragile human life? I..

I was dangerous.

It felt horrible. Knowing I could hurt others. I bit my lip, hard. A drop of blood slipped out of the cut, barely noticeable. It tasted metallic on the tongue, but my taste buds noticed something... Different. It was bitter. This was not normal.

But then again, what was?

We filed into the elevator, and right before the elevator doors slammed shut, I saw Cap. He looked... Disappointed. And for a minute, I felt guilty. Like I had done something I shouldn't have. Then, I was angry. I didn't do anything wrong! I was a victim! A girl that's thrown into a world set against her, with no way to escape. A girl that's alone. I was angry at him for making me feel shame, and in that last second, after our eyes met, I looked away. Hard. Cold. Dark. Sinking.

The agents marched along, flanking me on both sides. If I made any move, I'd be tranquilized within milliseconds. Doors glided open and closed as we walked through the silent hallways. We passed by a window, where I saw Tony Stark and some other man I didn't recognize working in some sort of lab. They had seemed to be talking, but as soon as I walked into their range of vision, their heads snapped up to watch me. Then we passed through another door, and they were gone.

I spent the time by observing my clothes. A dull, dark pair of pants, along with some grey shirt put on me by SHIELD. They were both torn and very, very muddy, thanks to the soaked ground of the forest. My own clothes were gone, the last connection to my home probably burning in an incinerator somewhere. No, I didn't have any cheesy locket or precious piece of jewelry that was given to me by my Mom or any of that crap. I had nothing but my memories, and now even those were paling beside the new ones. It felt so long ago, when I had fallen from that mountain. I estimated that it had been one, maybe two days. I didn't know how long I had been sleeping in that medical bay. It was truly strange, how I had somehow gotten accustomed to my situation. With my heart in shards and my brain on the edge of insanity, I should have been lying paralyzed on the floor. I still don't quite know what kept me from going under. Maybe it was something deeper, a primal sense of survival. Whatever it was, it kept me alive and walking.

Another pair of doors opened. They were huge, heavy, and most likely made of steel, much different from the smaller gates we had gone through prior. What shocked me was what I saw when we passed through them. We were in a large circular room, with a walkway going all around the edge. A set of metal stairs led up to the center of the room, where the object of my surprise was held.

A room. A round, cylindrical room, with large windows stretching around the side. But I saw no doors, no doorknob as the agents marched me up the metal stairs I realized this was not a room.

It was a cage.

I felt a prickle of anger. Of rebellion. A whisper telling me to fight back, to not go in the cage, that I was not a criminal, an animal. But no, I wouldn't. I was dejected. I just didn't care anymore. At least that's what it felt like. So I let the agents open the invisible glass doors, push me in, and close it. My eyes were stuck to the ground, and with a sigh, I sank down to it. At least now I was alone.

Then, a cold breeze tickled the back of my neck.

Not again. I cursed under my breath.

In all the places they could have put me on this damned ship, they put me here.

"Just the mortal I wanted to see."

Shit.

08080808080808080808080808080808080

I think I'm going to rename Loki as the god of End-Of-Chapter evil one liners.


	10. Chapter 10

I'm BAAACK! Sorry for the delay, I've been really busy with other stories (one that I may be posting soon, hehehe) and the holidays. I'll try to update more often, but no promises. Sorry for the short chapter, tell me if you see any mistakes, and be sure to like and subscri- I mean rate and review! Like and follow? Eh, whatever.

**_PAAAAAAAAAAAAAGEBBBBBBBBRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEAAAAAAKKKKKKKK_**

Loki. And he sounded pleased.

Great. Wonderful. They could have put me anywhere, ANYWHERE, but no, I had to be cell mates with the god that had tried to kill me.

Twice.

Three times, if you counted the one in the forest.

The room suddenly got cold, as I pressed against the window. Forget butterflies, my stomach was suddenly filled with crocodiles. Their sharp teeth spread fear through my body as I shivered. My pulse quickened to a fast tempo, and I sucked in air through my teeth. I blinked rapidly, and my eyes watered. No. I couldn't cry. I couldn't show him my fear. Shield was watching. I'd be safe. If the bastard tried anything, they'd do something. Someone would do something. I'd be fine, just fine, I told myself.

I was always a terrible liar.

I slowed my breath through sheer willpower, and went still. I prepared myself. Do not show weakness. I steadily stood up. There he was, gazing at me with a smug smile in the middle of the room-cell, I corrected myself. Dressed in the same green leather clothing as before, there was not a fleck of dirt on him. Strange, considering how he had been tackled into a rainy, muddy forest only hours before. My nose wrinkled slightly. He stared at me with those emerald green eyes, and I began to understand why my sister had swooned over them several times. They were deep orbs of viridian, filled with so much. Back in Stuttgart, I had seen something in those eyes. Not hate or rage or indifference, but something deeper. I admit, at that moment I grew a microscopic liking of the god, only because of those eyes. Reminding myself that this guy was a murderer, I hardened my feelings. I tried to tell myself I wasn't afraid, but that's a bit hard when you're trapped with the guy who tried to kill you twice in one day.

He smiled. It was the smile of a man who knew he was in control, not of one who had been captured and defeated. He was pleased, to see me. I gulped. His small smile grew wider. Then, he spoke, his cold, accented voice setting alarms off in my mind.

"You attempt to hide your fear. How quaint."

Welp, there went the last shred of my confidence. My facade crumbled, and I felt a tear build in my eye. I hated to show how scared I was, but I couldn't help it. I was truly scared of this dangerous man, this cold, immortal man. Raw fear flooded through me and I swallowed nervously. What would I do? What could I do? I didn't have time to think about it, as the god suddenly took a step towards me, striding over. The action and thought of him getting closer to me triggered an instinctive reaction, and I moved without thinking.

I whirled around with my arm raised, ready to slam on the glass. Looking back, it was a stupid move. But you gotta say, my reaction to the psycho guy approaching was justified. But before my fist could connect with the thick glass, it stopped abruptly. A hand, larger than my own, with long, thin fingers gripped my raised forearm, holding it back. His grip was strong, the spidery fingers biting at my skin.

"Get AWAY!"

I was repulsed at his touch, twisted out of his grip, and dashed to the other side of the cell. It bothered me, how fast he was, how strong. He looked quite gaunt and thin, but held my arm back easily.

"Don't touch me, you creep!" I shouted while cradling my arm, where a murky bruise was already forming.

"I was simply stopping you from dooming us both." Loki said with a sneer. Responding to me confused look, he said, "You see, my ignorant wench, should one try to break the walls of this prison, it would be released, and dropped thousands of feet to the earth. If you had hit that wall, you would die." He scoffed at me like I had known this. So that's why the cage is suspended, I thought as my heart beat wildly. Now, not only did I have to face the murderous immortal, I had to be in here knowing that I could be squished by gravity at any second! This development was GREAT for my nerves, as you could guess. Loki's smile disappeared, replaced by a curious frown. I clenched my teeth.

"You."

He turned away, looking to the outside of the cage.

"I had everything planned out. Everything was going perfectly. You dared to defy me, to give your pathetic speech of freedom and humanity. I could have just obliterated you. Left you a dying husk, burned by my power. That,"

He paused, amd I swallowed nervously.

"Was what was supposed to happen."

My eyes widened. Oh no.

"But no."

"You. You are the unexpected. The uninvited, unexpected variable. No one invited you. No one likes you."

I felt my heart grow colder, being greatly affected by his words.

"You, as they say, threw a wrench into my perfect plans.

Because you didn't die."

His eyes grew hard and cold, his voice louder, stronger. And he asked me something.

"Who are you?"

To my shock, I answered. "K-Kara Frost."

Loki sounded feral. A tiger, ready to pounce on the small, puny prey.

"Do tell me, Ms. Frost.

What are you?"

"I don't know."

My voice was shaky, small. The pressure that had been building up on me pressed down upon my shoulders, squeezing the water from my eyes. He snarled. There was clear displeasure in his scathing gaze, showing how he thought I was plainly lying. His mouth opened, and I flinched. I awaited words that carried pain upon their backs, but to my surprise, none came. Loki looked calm as he announced,

"The Spider comes. Your presence would disrupt our... Conversation. Do not attempt to communicate with her." Predicting my question, he continued. "She won't even notice you, so don't try. She shall know you are in here, but simply... forget about you. And you won't be able to even move to direct her attention."

And with a wave of his hand, I felt myself stiffen. In a few seconds, I couldn't even move! Trying to cry out in alarm, I discovered that my voice had also gone silent. I could only take in shallow breaths through my barely parted lips, my eyes flickering around, able to only watch what happened before me.

This brought up a myriad of concerns, the foremost being that he could use magic! If he could use magic, that meant... Oh shit. I cursed to myself. I wanted, needed to warn Cap and the others. As much as I hated Shield, I didn't want them to fall prey to the madman before me. Loki stood, a statue waiting for the person he had spoke of. As he did so, a new thought came into my head.

They had put me in here with him. Shield had just threw me in here, knowing fully that the god inside had attempted to end my life. They just didn't have a shred of kindness to think the repercussions of trapping a teenage girl on the edge of insanity (at least, that's how I'd assume they'd see me) with a man who had full intention to kill me. They didn't care about me at all. Hate filled me up like a balloon, and I was almost too lost in my rage-filled thoughts to notice the metallic whoosh of the doors.

I watched as Black Widow stalked into the room. That's what he had meant by Spider, I realized. I desperately struggled to speak, to move, to pound on the glass and tell her. But Loki's spell kept me rigid. As she walked up to the cage, her eyes flickered to me for a second, then looked to him. He had been right, the Widow paying me no mind. I could only watch and listen as they spoke. Loki had a sly smile on his face.

"There's not many people that can sneak up on me."

The Widow had the same emotionless expression on her face, her voice calm with a layer of ice underneath the surface.

"But you figured I'd come."

"After. After whatever tortures Fury can concoct, you would appear as a friend, as a balm. And I would cooperate."

I watched the conversation play out with confusion, but looking over their words again, I understood. From what I knew, Widow was a spy. She interrogated people, right? She would do exactly as Loki had said, and most of the time it would work. But not for Loki. He knew exactly what she would do. She wouldn't get anything out of him. Would she? Then, Widow's face changed. Her features grew hard. There was an underlying anger in her eyes and voice as she asked him,

"I want to know what you've done to Agent Barton."

Loki only smiled. It was obvious, at least to him, that he had the upper hand. I myself was confused. Agent Barton? Who was Agent Barton? In a way, I regretted not watching the movie.

"I'd say I've expanded his mind."

Wracking my brain, I tried to remember what he was talking about. Then, it came to me. The staff he had in Stuttgart. The staff held a glowing blue orb that radiated power. I remembered looking into it and feeling woozy. It was disconcerting.. The orb had something to do with this, and how they were talking about minds... anyone could have figured it out, really. Mind Control. Loki had taken control of this guy, Barton, and made him do his bidding. The Widow was letting out an aura of hatred under her facade of calm now.

"And once you've won. Once you're king of the mountain. What happens to his mind?"

"Is this love, Agent Romanoff?"

"Love is for children. I owe him a debt."

A debt, huh? I asked myself, but I didn't have to wait for the answer.

Loki looked interested. He was playing with her, like a cat and.. Spider? Eh, I'm no good with similes.

"Tell me."

"Before I worked for SHIELD, I uh...well, I made a name for myself. I have a very specific skillset. I didn't care who I used it for, or on. I got on SHIELD's radar in a bad way. Agent Barton was sent to kill me, he made a different call."

If I would have moved my facial muscles, my eyes would have widened. Widow was talking to the immortal like I wasn't even there. His spell was working, with a few side effects. One of them being that I could hear every part of their conversation, unaltered by my presence.

"And what will you do if I vow to spare him?"

"Not let you out."

Loki almost purred. He clearly loved this, as he stated with his next sentence.

"Ah, no. But I like this. Your world in the balance, and you bargain for one man?"

"Regimes fall everyday. I tend not to weep over that, I'm Russian, or I was."

You could have had Loki stroking a cat as he spun around in a high-backed chair right then, he looked so villainous.

"And what are you now?"

"It's really not that complicated. I've got red in my ledger, I'd like to wipe it out."

The Widow said. I noticed just a hint of pain, possibly sadness, under her mask. Something was wrong.

Loki's face had also changed. He looked at her with a mask as good as her own, and said something that shocked me.

"Can you? Can you wipe out that much red? Drakoff's daughter? Sao Paulo? The hospital file? Barton told me everything. Your ledger is dripping, it's gushing red, and you think saving a man no more virtuous than yourself will change anything? This is the basest sentimentality. This is a child at prayer. Pathetic! You lie and kill in the service of liars and killers. You pretend to be separate, to have your own code, something that makes up for the horrors. But they are a part of you, and they will never go away."

Widow wasn't just a Spy. She was an assassin. Shivers went through my body, making me want to visibly shake. The guns at her hips had been used so many times, killed so many people. And there, without a doubt, I knew that if I proved a threat, she would kill me too. It was hard to breathe. I was surrounded by monsters and gods and assassins. I was so small compared to them. I was so frightened. Loki looked angry now, every word laced with arsenic.

"I won't barter Barton! Not until I make him kill you. Slowly, intimately, in every way he knows you fear. And then he'll wake just long enough to see his good work, and when he screams I'll split his skull!"

His threats were so full of anger and hatred, chilling me to the bone. He said it in the such the way that I knew it was true, and it scared me. Widow looked shocked.

If he would do that to them, what would he do to me? Visions of pain and torture flashed through my head, and I struggled to keep them out. 'Just focus on the words, Kara!' I told myself over and over. The Widow turned away from him, her face hidden.

"This is my bargain, you mewling quim!"

I had to stop for a moment to process what he had said. Widow spoke, her voice sounding choked and dry. It almost sounded like... Was she crying?

"You're a monster."

Loki looked pleased again.

"Oh, no. You brought the monster."

It took me a moment to process what he had said. The monster... The Widow turned back, her look triumphant. There was no evidence that she had been crying

"So, Banner? That's your play?"

I froze. Well, I couldn't freeze, seeing as I was already, but you get the point.

Banner. The monster. The man I had seen in that lab with Stark. And it dawned on me. The Hulk. The Hulk was here, and Loki was going to use him. But Widow had made Loki slip up. A feeling of grew in me. Maybe Loki wouldn't win.

The best part of it was the look on his face as he said,

"What?"

The Widow then started walking away, a hand to her ear, where most likely a earpiece rested.

"Loki means to unleash the Hulk. Keep Banner in the lab, I'm on my way. Set the door locked."

So it had been Banner in that place.

The Widow took one last look over her shoulder at the dumbfounded Loki, said:

"Thank you for your cooperation."

And left.

Loki stared at the place where she had been for a few seconds, completely still. My muscled were hurting now from staying rigid for so long. The god looked out through the glass for a few minutes as my body cried out in pain. All I could think at that moment was one incredibly intelligent thought.

'Ow, ow, cramps, ow!'

Finally, he lazily moved his finger, amd I could move again.

Not expecting it, I immediately fell to the floor. Of course I gained several new bruises to add to my ever-growing collection, inciting a pained grunt to emerge from my stiff mouth. Sitting up, I waited for Loki to speak, yell, do something. But he stayed silent. Deciding that it wouldn't be a good idea to disturb him, I took the time to stretch and nurse my wounds. After I had healed (slightly), I finally broke the silence with a pained chuckle.

"Didn't expect that, did you."

He showed no reaction. Then, stupid me tested her luck, a smidge of repressed snark slipping out. Bad idea. Really, really bad idea.

"Now that they know what you're doing, you'll fail. And then, you'll be stuck in here. With me. And I'll be sure to make every minute of it a living hell. Hope you like puns."

I couldn't see Loki's face, but in the reflection of the glass, I saw him smile.

"You really thought unleashing the beast was my plan. You poor, deluded mortal. And you think that even though they knew of it, they could try to stop it?"

His smirk grew wider.

"In fact, Barton should be arriving right... Now."

I heard an explosion, and my eyes widened.

The floor shuddered and I was thrown to my side, hitting the glass wall with a crack.

The last thing I saw before fading into darkness was Loki, smiling down at me.


	11. Chapter 11

**Blah blah follow and review, I know you guys just want to get to the chapter. Hope you guys like it, this one's extra long!**

**(PAGEBREEEAK)**

'I have been falling unconscious too much lately.',

was the first thought in my mind when I awoke.

The second was 'Holy effing shit OW'. I felt my head throbbing as I squinted with my eyes closed. It had felt like I had been trampled by a dozen scared rhinoceros, and one very angry emu for added measure. Deciding to find out where the heck had happened now, my eyelids fluttered open, shining light into my pupils. Then, another thought came to mind, making me wince in pain.

"Loki, you little shit..."

I mumbled, seeing the glass of the cage wall in front of me. But this time around, I was outside looking in.

"What do you mortals say? Ah yes, Speak of the devil and he shall appear."

Gazing to my side where the "Devil" stood with a smug grin, I grimaced at him, sending a death glare his way. He simply brushed it off, and I gave an angry huff. We were obviously out of the cage now. I would have been relieved if not for the fact that he was out with me. To his right was a new character, a stranger. But as I observed his appearance, I began to recognize him. He was tall (AKA taller than me) and lean, with bare arms that displayed huge muscles. Adorning his head was dirty blonde hair, his face emotionless. He looked almost like he was staring off into space with his cloudy blue eyes. Strapped to the man's back was a... well, I didn't exactly know what it was, but I could see the feathery ends of arrows sticking out of it.

Wait, arrows?

'This must be..' I searched my mind for the name. 'Hawksomething?' I guessed. I never really remembered his character. From what my siblings would tell me (every single day), the guy wasn't really in the movie much, as he had been controlled- Oh. Of course. Confirmed by the fact that he wasn't attacking Loki, I realized that the archer was under the control of Loki. No help there, then. Quickly, my mind assessed the situation, looking for ways to escape. There was my condition, I thought. I had changed slightly, probably to a more survival-oriented mindset, thanks to what had happened to me so far. What surprised me was that it had happened so fast. Usually it took at least a week for my condition to change things, but it had only been around a day or two. Anyway, I quickly saw that rope bound my arms and legs, also holding me to the railing around the cage. I cautiously fought against it, but it held tight. There was no way I could just bust out of this. All the while, Loki watched with (what else?) a grin. Then, his expression changed, and he looked to Hawkguy (his name was Barton, I remembered).

"Barton." He ordered, like he was prompting something. The man held out his arm, and my eyes widened. In his grip was Loki's scepter, the blue gem inside still glowing softly. Blue. For a second, my vision went blurry, but quickly returned to normal. Weird. The god's eyes lit up at the sight of his beloved scepter. Great. Not only did he have magic now, he got back the blasting stick he had tried to kill me with! Taking it from Barton, he gave a slight nod to the brainwashed agent, who then disappeared from the room. Then, he turned back to me, gripping the scepter tightly.

"While we have some time, maybe you could provide me with some answers. If you are not mortal, then where do you hail from? I know you cannot be of this world."

My heart skipped a beat. Why did he want to know? What would he do if I told him? Images flashed through my mind. Loki finding his way to my world, my home. No heroes to save us. Blood in the streets and Loki on the throne. I could almost see him laughing as he hurt my family, and everyone I knew. A rogue shiver inched down my spine. My mouth was dry as I tried to reply.

"No." Stupid! I had just confirmed his suspicions. Why hadn't I said Maine? Quickly pushing the regret aside, I clenched my fists. I would never tell him. No matter what he did, he would never get the words out of my mouth. As if he had read my thoughts, he acknowledged this.

"So be it. I have other ways of making mortals talk." He said maliciously. With that, he raised the scepter and leaned towards me. What was he-oh, no. As it dawned on me I went pale, and a sentence from his conversation with Widow floated to the front of my mind.

'He told me everything.' He had used the scepter to take over Barton's mind.

And now he was going to do the same to me.

Panic overcame my rational thinking, and I struggled furiously as the scepter came closer. I needed time to undo my binding, and time was one thing I did not have. The sharp tip was about to touch the skin above my heart, and I closed my eyes.

"I'm so sorry." I whispered. I didn't know who I was apologizing to. There were so many. My mothers. My friends. My brothers and sisters. Thor. Tony. Cap. The one guy who was nice to me when everyone else thought I was a freak. A threat. And now I would be forced to tell all my secrets to Loki. He'd find out everything. The world, both this one and my own, would be ruled by him. Fear and sadness enveloped me, and I readied myself for the inevitable.

There was a cold feeling on the skin above my heart. I took in an agonizing breath. Was this it?

**_No_**

Then there was blue. The familiar warmth shot through me, banishing the coldness and filling my sight with the vibrant color. My eyes shot open to see Loki backed away, a shocked look in his eyes, scepter letting off a ribbon-thin trail of smoke.

"They told me no one could resist it..."

I heard him mumble below his breath. The warmth was fading, leaving me with the realization that I was still myself. Right then, I didn't care how, I just knew that somehow, it hadn't worked. I was myself, and was not under Loki's control. The god looked to me, his eyes still wide, then back to the scepter. For a second, he froze, an empty look in his pupils. Then, he was back.

"It couldn't be..."

He came towards me once more. Not expecting what would happen, I didn't move. What was he doing? He couldn't control me. What else could he- my thoughts were cut off as I felt a stab of pain in my arm. He... He had.. I looked at my arm in shock, where the tip of the scepter had made a small cut on my forearm. It was bleeding slowly, but fuck, it stung. Instead of hissing, I instead let out an angry growl.

"The fuck was that?!" I demanded, feeling a flash of fury. Loki ignored my outburst, and instead looked to the now upright scepter. On the tip was a few drops of my blood, clinging to the metal. Then, one drop slid down the surface, making it's way to the blue gem. When it finally fell on the crystal, it didn't slide down, but was absorbed by it. My blood disappeared from the surface of the strange gem, appearing inside before shrinking down to a tiny red sliver.

"What the-..." I didn't finish my sentence. What was that? Wh-what!? I was so confused before, and was somehow even more now. Loki looked once more at the gem, and smiled.

Gods, I hated it when he smiled.

"Astonishing. And to a mortal..."

"What the hell are you talking about?!" I replied. I swear, Loki almost chuckled.

"Stupid wench. You really have no idea, don't you?"

I glared at him.

"So, girl, have you happened to come by a glowing blue cube by the name of The Tessaract?"

He asked, looking like you would when you're trying to explain something simple to someone stupid. I started to angrily retort, but abruptly stopped.

A glowing blue cube.

Darkness. Falling. A cold metal floor-trying to get up-someone shouts-arm reaches out-and pain. Then there was that pain. I remembered looking, seeing it- the softly glowing square, it's tendrils in my heart. The Tessaract.

My missing memories charged in, kick-starting my headache once more. Loki smirked at my look of utter shock.

"So you have. But there is one more question to be asked. If you were a simple mortal, the Tessaract would have no effect on you, most likely kill you."

I instantly realized the answer, but there was no way I was telling him. I was not a simple mortal. My condition, the injection, my... "powers". Something had happened with it. I had no fucking idea what or how, but somehow the Tessaract did something to my blood. The same blood that carried the miraculous chemical that had saved my life and made me different. Oh yeah, and apparently this Tessaract was magic.

'Holy shit, I'm a fucking magical girl.' I thought, and grimaced internally. My second oldest sister watched anime, giving me a little knowledge on the topic. 'Man, Susie would be totally freaking out if she...' The thought trailed off, and I held back tears. Fuck, I couldn't think about that now. Loki glanced back to the scepter, where the trail of red swirled inside the gem.

"Yes, the power of the Tessaract flows within your veins. I know not how to remove it, so you, wench, shall be coming with me."

Shit.

"But not now. I still have much to do here." His eyes flickered to the cage, and a truly pleased look came across his face. Suddenly, a booming sound came from the direction of the door, a noise I recognized as metal being hit. Looking back, I saw Loki had disappeared.

"What-"

I was interrupted by the door bursting open, a raging immortal emerging from the twisted doorway. He had not seen me, instead focusing his gaze onto the cage. To my surprise, Loki was now standing in front of the open door of the glass prison. He was smiling evilly(what other way could he smile?), and Thor charged without a second thought, ready to tackle his... I honestly didn't know if they were related. Ah well. My eyes were so wide in taking in all the action, I noticed a flicker of movement in my peripheral vision. Turning slightly, I saw Loki-Wait, what?-standing at the control panel. But if he was- I turned my head to see Thor run straight through Loki, falling into the cage. With a hiss, the door slammed shut behind him, sealing the god inside. Thor saw him at the control panel, and his face twisted into that of anger. Loki just looked disappointed, with the kind of face that said, 'Really? You really just did that. Wow. Just wow.' True to his expression, Loki drawled,

"Are you ever not going to fall for that?"

"God, what a smartass." The words slipped out of my mouth, and I realized I had said that out loud. Now I had the attention of two gods on me. The raven-haired trickster simply looked annoyed, while Thor looked alarmed, observing my bindings. Turning back to Loki with a look of pure fury, he slammed his hammer into the glass wall. Only the smallest of cracks formed, barely noticeable. Wow, that cage really was strong. All while this was happening, I managed to get my fingers around the rope that was holding me, and started working on untying the knot. Now ignoring me, the trickster flicked open the plastic covering of a dangerous-looking red button and spoke once more to his brother.

"The humans think us immortal. Shall we test that?"

He wasn't. He couldn't. Thor shouted from inside the cage, his booming voice carrying through the thick material.

"Brother, do not do this! Do what you must, but do not harm the maiden!"

Loki's eyes widened, and I glimpsed a hint of sadness, then anger.

"I am not your brother!" He shouted with surprising ferocity. Brothers? They were brothers? I saw no similarities between them. Judging by what he had said, maybe Loki had been.. Adopted? Did gods even do that? Ugh, this was confusing. My hands were still hard at work at the knots. The rope around my legs was loosening, but not quick enough. With a hardened expression, Loki's hand hovered above the button, when-

"Move away, please."

That voice. I had heard that voice before. The balding agent stood facing the control panel and Loki with something in his hands. It was.. Something. A weapon, with it's barrel pointed directly at Loki. He moved away from the button, his hands raised slightly. One corner of the agent's, Coulson, I remembered, mouth tugged up as he glanced to the intimidating object.

"You like this? We started working in the prototype after you sent the Destroyer. Even I don't know what it does. Do you wanna find out?"

His back was facing me, and that's why I saw.

A flash of metal, a glimmer of green.

Then, Loki was right behind him. My eyes widened. I gasped. And I screamed.

"NO!"

My yell reverberated through the room, making Coulson move ever so slightly. Then, I heard the horrible shunk. Loki pulled the blade of his scepter out of Coulson's back, letting him fall against the wall. I was frozen in shock. No. He... The agent slumped to the floor, leaving a smudge of blood on the wall. Oh my god. Thor pounded a fist on the glass.

"NOOO!" He yelled. Loki, without a word, pressed the button, and the doors under the cage opened. Wind tousled my hair, and then, the cage dropped, Thor disappearing from sight. No. Tears sprung from my eyes. I could have done something. Anything. I could've saved them. But I wasn't quick enough. My fingers drooped. There was no point now. I didn't act fast enough. Now they were gone. My eyes were locked on Coulson, who had a trickle of crimson leaking out of the corner of his mouth. I wanted to cry, to scream, to look away and try to deny everything. Even though I had barely known him, a flood of remorse filled me. Why hadn't I been nice to the agent? If only I hadn't acted like a brat, I wouldn't have gone to Stuttgart, I wouldn't have met them.. Maybe I could have done something to stop Loki, save everyone. You think it's hard reading about a character dying in a novel, a comic book? Try watching them die right in front of you. They are real. Real people, not just words of pictures on a page and they have lives and families and you hear the breath leaving them and smell the blood and you just can't do anything- I almost didn't notice Loki turning towards me.

"You're gonna lose."

The weak voice said. He looked to Coulson, still lying against the wall, the weapon cradled in his lap.

"Am I?"

Loki inquired.

"It's in your nature."

"Your heroes are scattered, your Flying Fortress falls from the sky. Where is my disadvantage?"

He looked annoyed. How could he act so relaxed? He had just murdered a man in cold blood. My anger grew, and I tried to stand up. To my surprise, the ropes fell to the floor, my legs now unbound. The rage bubbling in my throat rose.

"I don't think I-"

Loki was cut off by a blast of red hitting him in the chest. He went flying through a wall, vanishing.

"So that's what it does."

I heard Coulson say, his voice ragged and weak.

"And Miss Frost? I recommend that you leave. It's not safe here."

I swallowed nervously, gazing down to the dying man.

"I... He..." I tried to say something, but my throat felt clogged. "You're... Dying. He.."

And suddenly, I was furious. Coulson spoke once again. He was trying to hide the fact that speaking pained him.

"Miss Frost, please... Go find the others. Don't worry about me, it's just a flesh wound." He cracked a small smile. I looked to the wall that Loki had crashed through.

"No." I couldn't just let Loki do this. I.. I couldn't.

"Miss Frost, don't. Loki has magic, you'd be in danger." Coulson said, immediately knowing what I was about to do. I paused, and looked down to the cut on my arm, where my blood was still seeping out. Striding over to the wall, I looked back to Coulson. I couldn't help him. Maybe.. Maybe someone would do what I could not.

'I'm sorry.' The words that emerged from my lips were different.

"I have magic of my own."

And I walked through the broken wall, my face hidden, so he couldn't see the angry tears streaming down my cheeks.

I emerged from the tatters of broken metal, looking into the dark hallway it connected to. There was a god-shaped dent in the wall opposite me. A smile twisted its way onto my face. I hoped it had hurt. Following the hallway, I found unconscious agents scattered, all fallen against the wall. Thankfully, none were dead or injured too badly. Most were simply battered and bruised. I didn't look at them. I had a job to do.

Loki. That bastard, that low, cheating, disgusting murderer. And he called himself a god. Gods are wise and benevolent, looking after those who can't do it themselves. I clenched my teeth. I would stop him. I was free, and now that I was angry, I wasn't letting anything stop me. His path was obvious, and soon enough, I came to an open room filled with aircrafts. There he was, climbing into one of the planes. As soon as I saw him, a feral growl echoed through the room. My eyes blazed with fury.

Loki looked back. "Wench."

"Murderer." I uttered.

"You almost missed the flight. I was afraid I would have to leave you behind." Loki said impishly. His joking nature infuriated me all the more. He was insane. My heart hammered behind my ribcage, a familiar warmth growing in my palms.

"Ah, the mortal is angry for their friend. And I have the joy of telling you that he died painfully." The snake smiled, baring his teeth like a hyena. And something snapped. The blue glowed from my heart as I felt a tingling feeling in my spine. Power. Anger. Avenge him. Avenge all of them.

Make him suffer.

"DIE!" I screamed, and blue energy bolts burst from my hands. Again and again. I released the pain and sadness and fury I had been holding back in the form of the searing blasts. Oh yes, it hurt. It hurt a lot. But all I could think of was Thor, falling. Coulson, dying. The Helicarrier and every single person on it. Falling. Dying. Pain and hurt and suffering. All because of him. I could taste blood in my mouth.

And then it was done. I fell to my knees, sucking in air. Did I do it? I felt drained, tired. Sleepy.

The laugh came like a dagger.

There he was, without so much as a scratch. No. My anger drained, I stared up at him.

"How?"

My voice was dry. It sounded pathetic. I probably looked pathetic, down on my knees, not even able to budge him. Loki stopped his chuckling, and smiled triumphantly.

"You will never be able to hurt me, you pitiful wench. We are much alike. Both from different worlds, both with unimaginable power. The difference between you and me.." He paused, looking to his scepter. "Is that I can control it." The attack had drained me, leaving my muscles weak and body exhausted. I was a fool. A stupid, angry fool. Two of Loki's agents came up behind me and grabbed my arms. I was so sore and tired, I didn't even fight back.

"Put her inside. And don't tie her up. She knows she is defeated."

I grit my teeth, and looked down. I was finished. I couldn't hurt him. I couldn't do anything . Useless. I was useless. The agents hauled me into the aircraft,i throwing me onto the cold floor. I only brought my knees to my chest and hugged them. I felt the plane lift off, the room softly rumbling.

I buried my face in my knees and cried.

(PAGEBREAK)

Now I understand why my favorite authors are so cruel to their characters.

Uncontrollable-book-nerd: MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAA! Cliffhangers! Cliffhangers EVERYWHERE! *continues cackling maniacally*

Jess: Thanks for the tip! I didn't mean to do that, a big mistake on my part! Thanks for the resources, they're really helpful!

Guest: Thanks! Well, you got your wish! Sorry to keep you waiting, but you can blame school.

Currahee506: Yyyyyyeeaaah, sorry! I assume they'll be looking for her, especially Cap. Too bad I can't write their thoughts about her... But maybe if I get, I dunno, a buncha reviews on this chapter, I miiiiiight write a bonus chapter from Cap's point of view...yes, this is blackmail.

Thanks for the reviews! Hehehe, I'm so cruel...


	12. Chapter 12

**Guys, I'm really sorry for being so incredibly late with this. I've been busy, as always, with school and other things, but I also have myself to blame. 40 reviews! That means that next I'll be writing a bonus chapter from Cap's viewpoint! I hope I can write him well... Among other things, I'm writing a crossover! Lollipops to anyone who guesses what two fandoms the crossover will be between! **

**If you wanna see me when I'm not writing, go to my tumblr, thefrogswillreignsupreme!**

It was very hard, crying quietly.

As I sobbed into my arms, I held back the urge to wail. I had never been a quiet crier. Voicing my sadness and pain, I showed my emotions and let them control my actions. I wanted more than anything to scream. I wanted to scream and wail and bellow, my fists hitting the floor. I wanted to cry for my Mothers like a small child, waking up scared and alone in their bed. They had fallen asleep with the warmth of their parent beside them, wrapping the protecting arms around them. As they would drift into unconsciousness, they would feel happy. Complete. Then, they would wake up in the dark. The warmth, the familiarity, gone. They are so scared and lost. And they cry. I felt so much like a lost child right then, except this time no mother would come. No one would. I felt mucus fill my throat, and I swallowed with some difficulty. My breath was hitched and quick, not hyperventilating, but close. I had shown that side with my explosive breakdown on the Helicarrier, and now more than ever I wanted to batter my head against the metal ground.

The Helicarrier. I allowed the softest sob to escape into the cloth of my pants. I had been so idiotic, so angry and foolish. I had done exactly what Loki had wanted. I had walked right into his thin hands by going after him alone.

And I couldn't even hurt him. I was weak.

Useless.

These thoughts brought on an onslaught of guilty crying. Why didn't you stay with Coulson? You could have been there. You could have gone for help. You could have done something. Anything. But no. You couldn't let him go. You couldn't forget about Loki for just one second and help him. Loki got exactly what he wanted, all because of you. You left Coulson.

You left him to die alone.

The words that brought the crushing guilt had come first as a whispering at the back of my mind. As I had succumbed to the quiet sobs, the voice grew louder, filling my consciousness. For some reason, it had sounded like my third grade teacher, Ms. Penny. She had raised her voice at me after my grades dropped, saying I was a stupid child. I was not smart, and I never would be, because I only thought about soccer. As her voice grew to a shout, I cowered and sniffled, clutching my favorite soccer ball. Then, to my horror, she took the ball and tore it. I had burst into tears, and later she was fired. Even after my mothers soothed me, I could still hear her judging voice. It was the voice that told me I was too skinny when I looked at myself in the mirror, that I looked like a toothpick. It was the voice that said no one would like me with an ugly, short hairstyle after I got it cut. It was the one that told me that she would never like me back. It had always been the voice of my self-loathing, my doubt in myself. And this time it hit where it hurt the most.

The sentence reverberated through my head, feeling so empty and about to explode from pressure at the same time.

He was dead. Fucking dead.

I heard him call after me as I ran through the wall. Even as he lay there dying, Coulson was only concerned about my safety, telling me over and over not to go.

And what did you do?

I didn't want to answer the voice.

And what did you do?

It said like a clap of thunder, rumbling through me.

I didn't listen.

I hadn't listened and he had paid for it.

I felt numb. There was so much emotion, building and raging out of control. It wanted to come bursting out of me, stomping and screaming. But it stopped. It was like I was wearing a mask with two small holes for my eyes. It was choking my emotions, holding them back like a huge dam holding a reservoir. It helped and hurt at the same time. I could only cry through the eye holes, tears flowing freely. But I couldn't writhe. I couldn't scream or stomp or move. I could only cry. The voice hovered over me, whispering and shouting and screaming all at the same time. I couldn't choose which one hurt the most.

I used to have a dog. Back on my home, my family owned a dog. A huge Great Dane with brownish-red fur that looked like clay. Of course, we called her Clifford. She was the gentlest dog you'd ever meet. She never ran after squirrels or cats or cars. At the most, she was only slightly interested in them, never enough to bolt after. That was a good thing, as if she would start running, none of us would be able to stop her. She was only...curious. Clifford always had a mission to keep us happy, no matter what. She would always be there no matter what we felt, sniffing and licking and watching. She never bit. She never growled. She did anything for us. We loved Clifford so much.

The eventual happened. Time can never be stopped, no matter how hard you try. I wasn't prepared for it. I never had been. I was eleven. Always moving, always running and playing. I loved playing with Clifford out in the yard. I don't remember her running after the ball slower than she used to. Neither did I her lying on the couch more. Eating less and less. I don't know if I didn't notice, or refused to. I thought Clifford would always be there. I was so ignorant. I had wanted to go out and play with the ball. Standing at the doorway, I whistled for her.

"Clifford! Here girl!". I knew she would come. She always had. Clifford was on the couch, her eyes tinged with red as she opened them. I imagine she wanted to do nothing more than sleep, but she listened. She was the most obedient dog you would ever meet. Her bones were old and brittle, her muscles tired and sore. But with great effort, she lowered herself off the couch. She didn't even whimper. And she walked. Each rubbed down pad of her paws clomped across the floor. I waited. She seemed to be taking a bit longer than usual. The smallest bit of doubt creeped into my mind, but I shook it off. Clifford was fine, I thought. Just a bit tired. She was fine. The Great Dane lumbered up to me, her tail lazily wagging. The door was open, the smell of spring wafting through. She started to take another step, and- thump.

She collapsed. I jumped in surprise as the doubt and fear I had been hiding came roaring back. She was on the ground, shaking and trembling. My young eyes grew wide. No. It was like Clifford knew she was going to die. The worst part? She had accepted it. She didn't try to raise herself from the wooden floor, didn't whimper or howl, but stayed silent, just like she had always been.

I remember crying. I didn't know much, but my mother told me Clifford had gone to a nice place, where she would live happily. I knew better. I had seen her wobble and crash, her breathing shallow and labored. There was pressure behind my rib cage as I sucked in air through my teeth.

Clifford, between all her pain, shifted her head. And her deep amber eyes looked directly into mine. And I knew. I saw her love and her happiness and her pain. She would have done everything for me. In her eyes, I saw what she wanted.

She wanted me to be there for her.

I almost was. I almost sat down, right there, and cradled her head in my lap as the life slipped out of her. I almost laid down next to her and wrapped my small arms around her, whispering that it was going to be okay into her fur.

Almost.

I had ran.

I didn't look back as tears burned my eyes like acid.

I just kept running. I didn't know where I was going and I didn't care.

I just wanted to get away.

From Clifford, lying there.

From her eyes, following me, trusting me.

From the brittleness of her bones, from the sagging of her skin, from the light that was slowly going out in her eyes.

From Death.

I had ran away then.

I had ran away now.

I could feel myself shaking on the metal floor. I wished I could fall asleep, lose myself and my thoughts in the weightless abyss. My tears were gone. I just had no more to give, no more to lose. My eyes were dry. Slowly, my head rose from my tear-stained knees, and I surveyed my surroundings.

I seemed to be in a closet.

It was a storage closet. Spacious and empty, but a closet no less. There was no light but a thin line penetrating from beneath the door. The air was dry and metallic. The door was locked- I didn't even try the doorknob, I knew. It was very quiet, albeit for the hum of the jet's engines as we shot through the sky. Estimating how long I had been crying, I concluded it had been around an hour. I had calmed down now, but my breath was still hitched, my nose runny. Ew. Brushing my arm against my nose, I wished I had a tissue. I actually surprised myself when I let out a chuckle. I had briefly imagined knocking on the door to ask Loki for a Kleenex, causing a small burst of joy. The laughter, though small, felt good. The heavy stone that sat at the bottom of my stomach lessened with it. It was relief. But the weight of my decisions still hung over me like a a boulder, only held by a frayed cord.

"What of our progress?" The small flame of laughter turned to ash as soon as I heard his voice. He sounded so blasé, so uncaring, like this whole thing was no more than a frivolous chore. I seethed. He obsessed over me while simultaneously treating me like a nonentity. He dressed ornately, wore that sickeningly pleased smile as he robbed the lives of innocents. My rage seethed like acidic bile in my throat, wanting to hurt him, burn him, make him feel every single bit of pain Coulson had fel- I paused, and my jaw tightened.

"Selvig is setting up the device now, sir." One of Loki's lackeys responded. "He... He said the Tesseract's energy levels are lower than normal." There was silence. I quieted my breathing, minimizing all sound I made.

"Tell him to keep working. The energy is not an issue."

His voice, so different and icy, came through the door. As he spoke, a strange tingle went down my spine, making me want to tremble wildly. And to think my sister had been infatuated with him. He was...dreamy. Her words, not mine.

In all, I just felt tired. My insides were numb and my outside ached. If I had wanted to, I would have fallen asleep on that steel floor, right then and there. For a second, my vision went fuzzy, and cleared. My back felt stiff, same as my neck. Before I could stretch out, I felt the hum beneath me grow louder, the engines of the plane rumbling.

We were landing.


	13. Chapter 13

**Jeez, I'm not good at deadlines. I'm an impulsive writer, people. It's really hard to hold myself to schedules and deadlines. For a while I lost a bit of my drive for this fic, but I won't abandon it, I promise. I'll do my best to post the next chapter a bit sooner, hopefully less than over a month. I've also been working myself to death on several other stories that may or may not go anywhere. Add that to family and school, and you get a whole lot of procrastination. I promise the next chapter will be longer, but for now I hope you like ****this one! **

**Oh, and one more thing: I've been thinking of asking you guys trivia questions or the like, just for fun. They'd be something like: Who, in Mighty Avengers #1, possessed Tony Stark and turned him into a woman? So tell me if something like that would be fun, or just stupid. Thanks!**

I squeezed my eyes shut, let my arms go limp and lowered my head. Once the engines had stopped, I heard footsteps approach the door. Light shined orange through my eyelids, and a rough hand gripped my arm and pulled. I was dragged out of the closet and thrown from the plane onto a metal floor. Damn, it hurt. A hiss escaped my lips before I could stop it, the pain from impact forming bruises. Luckily, it could barely be heard over the howling winds that whipped through my hair. Pushing myself up with red and stinging hands, I- Wait.

My eyes cracked open, being greeted with another surprising sight. The wind whistled past my ears as I took in the Manhattan skyline stretching out before me. We were incredibly high up, farther than most of the other skyscrapers I glimpsed. Of course! Stark Tower, which I knew exactly two things about. One, it was built and owned by Tony Stark, duh. And two, a bit more terrifying, it was the exact center of the enormous battle that would take place. Oh no. I looked out upon the bustling city, when a voice came from behind me.

"W-Who's this?"

The words practically shook in the air, sounding oddly forced. Turning my head, I gazed upon the man speaking. The voice fit him perfectly, as he, for the lack of a better word, was a mess. The balding, middle-aged guy was sweaty and unkempt, his clothes well-worn and his receding hairline sticking out every which way. There was a wild look in his red-rimmed eyes, clouded over by a misty blue. I flinched internally at the sight of that accursed color. Why did it seem to follow me wherever I went? I recognized the feeling of pity that briefly appeared in my mind, knowing this man was too, under Loki's control. And from the look of him, it seemed to be driving him insane. My observations were cut short by a shove that pushed me nearer to him, revealing the complex machine hidden behind.

"This, Selvig," Loki purred, "Is your...energy."

Stupid me should have realized what he had meant, but then, I was hearing nothing. I only stared at the object locked into the device behind him. The Tesseract. The moment it caught my eyes I was transfixed, and everything else became nonexistent. Strands of silver light flickered and danced inside, my pupils dilating as I watched. Like a Siren crooning her shimmering melody, I was hypnotized completely. Everything was slow and silent, the cube pulling whispers from my mouth as I gazed deeper and deeper into its milky depths. So many strands. So many stars, so many paths, reaching farther and farther, stretching into eternity. I could see them all. For a split second, I could see, I could comprehend everything it had to offer, truly understand the indescribable vastness of space. My heart beat once. And then, it was broken.

"Yes, I remember her! Appeared out of nowhere, touched the Tesseract, right before you arrived." Selvig babbled. Wait. He had been there, seen me arrive out of thin air! If he got through this.. Maybe. Maybe there was a chance. My heart leapt at the thought, but I held it down. No, for now I had to wait. "And you're saying she, she harnessed some of her power? B-but how?" He stuttered.

"Yes, the power of the Tesseract somehow flows through her..." Loki confirmed stiffly. "But she refuses to tell me how.." Then, his tone changed, something that made my stomach drop. "Now.." I felt his hand once more grab my arm, and he pulled me to my feet. I reluctantly let him, but my head refused to rise.

"Look at me, you wench." He hissed, his voice seething with venom. Just like the snake he was. I did not look. "Look upon you king." His grip tightened, the nails biting into my skin. Loki let a bit of agitation through, his voice rising. My muscles tensed.

"I said, look at-"

He was promptly cut off by my fist coming in contact with his face.

Let me tell you, it was the most utterly satisfying thing I had ever done.

Well, before I died. Or at least, I was pretty sure Loki was going to kill me now. Judging by the murderous fury burning in those icy blue orbs, my hunch was right.

"Just for that, you worm, I won't kill you quickly." If words were daggers, these would be dripping with poison from a Black Widow. If she were here, I imagine things would have turned out differently... I wanted to be frightened. I wanted to break down once more, to crumple in his grip. The acid that was fear threatened to boil over my eyelids, but something held it back. My eyes stayed dry. My voice was silent. I was scared out of my wits, I couldn't deny that. But my face stayed like stone.

No, I would not give him the satisfaction.

And so I stared into his eyes, unwavering, unmoving. He glared back. It felt like a solid minute as our gazes clashed. His fingers still held my arm aloft, the other hand gripping the scepter. His eyes flashed, and this time it was not a trick of the mind. There was freezing hatred, then- a flash of green - a ruling king - an icy wasteland - darkness-monsters-**blue.**

And then there was pain.

A scream burst from my mouth, high and sharp. Glass may have shattered, I couldn't even remember. I fell, the sudden excruciating feedback jolting my brain, but something held me up. My hands writhed, trying to clutch something, to squeeze it in reaction. Something wet dripped onto my cheek. Pupils, shrunk to pinpricks, darted up and saw something that made my heart stop.

Loki, still gripping my forearm, a smug little smile adorning his pale face. God, I wanted to punch him again. Then, my heart dropped, the source of the searing pain found.

Blood.

A long, straight line, crimson liquid seeping from my palm down to the inside of my elbow. It was now trickling out at a steady, sickening rate, and my stomach churned. A rich, deep color, bathing my skin in the blood that ran beneath it. A drop slipped down my arm, simultaneously sending a chill down my spine.

For a second, my mind entertained the idea that it was an illusion. A trick, played on me by Loki to laugh at my shocked face. No, it couldn't be. The pain that rippled through my nerves proved me wrong. Yes, the blood that kept coming, shimmering with a strange blue tint, was real. My voice was blurry but I could feel everything. Tears finally beaded on my eyelids. My voice was a harsh whisper.

"Oh god..."

"**I **am your god, you weak, pitiful wench."

Sounds were muffled. My mind registered him dragging me nearer to the Tesseract and handing my forearm to Selvig. He said something I didn't pick up on, and the controlled scientist nodded like a zombie. I was in shock, I suppose. No brain activity, reaction, thoughts or panic. Only a blank, empty stare.

Then, he pushed my shimmering, bloodstained hand onto the Tesseract.

My cloudy eyes only watched as my palm, fingers laid flat and numb, gently touched the glowing cube. There was a swirl of blood red, a spike of hot pain like lightning, and then, the Tesseract began to glow brighter and brighter. It felt like the air was sucked out of my lungs, leaving them hollow and dry. The pain came back in full force, but was dulled by something even greater.

I was so _tired._ The energy that had somehow kept me going for so long vanished in a second.

I fell back with no one to catch me this time. Hollow, drained, empty. Useless.

And I watched the portal to a sea of inky blackness open above me, before I fell into the dark once again. Maybe this time I could finally rest.


End file.
